


the later

by Shespitsfire



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Drama & Romance, Exploration of identity, F/M, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, M/M, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Revenge, Self-Discovery, Sequel, Shinto
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-25 15:47:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 67,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22338487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shespitsfire/pseuds/Shespitsfire
Summary: *Sequel to The After*The future soon becomes the present,the present becomes the past,and the hardest part of making a choice is living with it.
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha, Kagura/Sesshoumaru (InuYasha), Kohaku/Original Character, Miroku/Sango (InuYasha)
Comments: 145
Kudos: 135





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> hello friends, back again, terrified this will be a let-down compared to the first piece. <3

He’d been gone for weeks.

A warlord’s “mission” of some sort, the kind with complex political motivations, unforgiving terrain, and demon breeds that wouldn't go down easily. 

Kagura didn’t bother to lose sleep for the first week he was gone. On day eight, she left to explore a nearby valley, and came back on day ten to find his room still empty. Days eleven through seventeen, her eyes would without fail crack open to a dark room, hours before the sunrise. Anxiety twisted into a violent bow in her gut with each passing day that he didn’t return. The servants stopped saying hello when she’d pass by in the hall, for fear of getting a vicious remark in return. 

On the early morning of day eighteen, the winds woke her with a cold draft of good news through the cracked window. 

Kagura took her time getting ready. 

* * *

A herd of servants and soldiers-in-training waited in the front hall, murmuring with equal doses of excitement and anxiety. Never one for crowds, Kagura sat on the steps of a side-staircase, hidden by the curve of the wall. Smiling, she only revealed herself after Sesshomaru had entered and answered a dozen of his subordinates' questions. Not even Jaken’s loud shrieks of apparent victory could sully her mood, especially when those gold eyes reached her.

“Welcome back,” the sorceress said calmly, as though it had been no more than a few hours since his departure. Sesshomaru dipped his head in a subtle acknowledgment, before turning to answer another question. 

Fan slipping into her palm, Kagura unfolded it to hide her smile from the crowd. 

After way too much time, Sesshomaru snarled Jaken’s name with growing impatience. The imp jumped to attention and shooed the other creatures away, bellowing at them to let their esteemed and unbeatable Lord get some rest. His squinted, yellow glare was especially harsh when directed in Kagura’s direction, and with a careless shrug she made her way back to the staircase. 

She returned to her room and sat on the windowsill. Sunbeams trickled through, casting her shadow on the floor where she’d spent several nights pacing. When they were both home, the two rarely slept apart; but Kagura enjoyed having her own space to fill with various things she collected on her travels. The prize from her latest trip was a tooth the size of her entire hand, most likely from an oni. As the light from the window hit her various trinkets of stone, metal, bone, and fabric, they all glistened and shone. 

Finally, the door slid opened. Shutting it soundly behind him, Sesshomaru turned without looking at her. 

His fatigue was more obvious, now that they were alone; heavy limbs ripped the pieces of his armor free, and the daiyokai’s chest pulsed in a slightly more pronounced manner than normal. Bakusaiga and Tensaiga were laid with the utmost respect and reverence against the wall; certainly his swords had earned their rest, as well. 

Once unburdened with reminders of war, he finally let himself look at her.

Kagura straightened, fan vacillating gently in front of her chest. She knew what the sun’s glow did to the pallor of her skin, how it set off the colors in her kimono; she also knew that he didn’t particularly care about these things. Her true goal was simply to remind him that she put in an effort, one that wouldn’t exist for anyone else. 

To an outsider, it didn’t appear to have any effect--Sesshomaru strode forward with a steadily neutral expression. In the time they’d been together, Kagura had learned not to take offense in it. Her sensibility was rewarded when he sank to his knees, resting his head in her lap. 

Her fan snapped shut to lay on the sill. Then Kagura settled her free hand on his head, stroking gently but firmly. 

“Were you wounded?” 

His neck twisted so that one warm cheek pressed against her thigh. “No.” 

“Are things settled for now?”

“Yes.” The subtle growl in his voice meant there was a story, one she’d be all too eager to hear in a little while. 

“Good.” 

She was well aware of the enormity of grace that must exist, in his willingness to show her this much vulnerability. After all, how could a Lord of his stature ever allow anyone else to see how deeply he needs? Sometimes, the weight of such responsibility threatened to be suffocating. But for now, it wrapped around her warmly, like a winter cloak. 

“When did you last eat?” 

When he didn’t respond quickly enough, she tugged at the base of his scalp sharply. 

“Two days.” 

“Slept?”

Another tug. His lip curled. “Three.” 

Slightly better than Kagura expected. With all the threats she made against Jaken’s life after Sesshomaru’s last trip, perhaps the imp had made some progress in learning how to manipulate the Western Lord’s sense of self-preservation. 

“Would you like to eat something now?” She knew the answer already, but the fire in his eye never failed to send shivers shooting up her spine. 

“No.” 

Then the weight of his head was gone, and claws circled her hips. Kagura laughed, managing to grab her fan from the sill before she was pulled away. 

* * *

An hour later, they were joined by one of the kitchen staff, a fire yokai who was helpfully quick to deliver a tray and disappear. Sesshomaru picked at the offerings, frowning at all of Kagura’s questions. 

“Was it Okkoto again? Or has his son finally taken over things?” 

“Taichi is far from competent enough to run the boar tribe himself,” the daiyokai replied. Kagura swallowed her observation that Inuyasha had once said the same thing, except in a more colorful manner.

“Were they at the outposts? Is that why you were gone for so long?” 

He shook his head. “The raids appeared to be concentrated on human villages this time.”

“Strange. I mean, they're certainly easier to conquer, but that’s not Okkoto’s style.” Stealing a sliver of meat from his tray, she chewed it thoughtfully. Several strands of loose dark hair fell over her shoulder, and she brushed them away with her free hand. “He had to know the carnage would draw attention.” 

“His violence was not as widespread as expected.” He took several more bites. Kagura noted curiously how the food barely made it into his mouth before he swallowed; combined with his earlier acceptance of physical affection, the trip had drained him incredibly, despite the lack of casualties.

_Something else must have happened..._

“Okkoto must know that these battles affect his forces more than mine. A strong hold on a few good-sized human villages would provide his tribe with consistent access to food and money, with minimal threat of insurrection.”

“I doubt he’d be content with that,” Kagura scoffed. “And would that not make him quite unpopular with his tribe? They’ve always been a glory-seeking bunch.” 

“Or perhaps, knowing I would respond, he simply chose the easiest target to minimize his own casualties. Even if the spoils are meager.” 

“Eighteen days for meager spoils.” She reached forward, inspecting the options left on the tray. He sighed but allowed it. “I don’t see why you must bite back every time he thumbs his broad nose at you. Do you actually see him as a serious threat?” 

“Doing nothing only encourages Okkoto’s ego. In the past ten years, his forces have destabilized five yokai tribes and destroyed three. Each time, they become more and more bold.” 

“Except this time. When they avoided yokai altogether.” Kagura leaned her chin on one hand and tried to restrain the moodiness in her tone. “Why were you gone so long?” 

The silence that stretched between them completely destroyed her determination to behave. Scoffing, she looked away. “Never mind. It’s not like I care, anyway.”

“Kagura."

"Clearly it's very important to you to keep things to yourself, even if it's the most fucking boring situation in the world. I mean, who cares if it's dead demons or humans, or boar versus lizard versus dog--" 

_"Kagura."_

The sun shifted in the sky, sending shadows in the room skittering. Across the room, the oni tooth's shade went from gleaming white to a dark gray as the light left it. 

“While on the way to address the problem,” Sesshomaru grit through his teeth, “we suffered several storms. However, the weather remained concentrated within one area for a measured amount of time--each storm tracked along the exact route that we traveled.”

Well, she didn’t see why that had to be so hard. Leaning back within his reach, she mused, “Perhaps Okkoto has allied with wind yokai, who were tasked with slowing you down?”

“That is also Jaken’s suspicion.” He ignored her gag at having agreed with his servant, even unintentionally. One of his hands settled on her bare ankle, claw tracing the path of a vein. When she didn't kick him off, he continued, “The Lady of the Sky Castle employs many wind yokai from the same range of mountains that we traveled in. She holds their clan's loyalty because of this.”

Kagura took a moment to wonder what her life might have been like if she herself had been born into a clan of wind yokai. She would have had parents, maybe even siblings. On her travels she had witnessed a few such families; they seemed to enjoy working together. Would she have carried seeds from a spring harvest to other yokai villages, or learned ancient songs and traditions? Perhaps she might have lived and worked in the mountains her entire life. It was strange to imagine, most of all herself as a child--something she had never been. 

Sesshomaru coughed, drawing her attention back to the present. As though she’d only been considering the mystery at hand, she said, “You think she might be able to point you towards who may be involved?” 

He nodded. 

“Won’t she be thrilled, seeing you three times in a single decade.” 

Sesshomaru’s shoulders fell in a manner that she easily recognized--there was something he didn’t particularly want to do, but somehow he felt it was inevitable. His hand moved from her ankle to adjust the dishes on the tray.“As my audience with her concerns abilities with which you are intimately familiar, it would only be wise to request that you attend as well.” 

She smirked, leaning her head on her hand again. “Are you saying you’re finally going to let me meet your mother?” 

"Though it is against my better judgment. Yes."

"Your better judgment, hm?" She fluttered her eyelashes. "Say that kind of thing too often and I might just leave you."

He fixed her with an annoyed stare. "Say _that_ kind of thing too often, and I might just request you do so."

With a dramatic sigh, the wind witch flounced onto her back in the bed. "What must it be like to be born lacking a sense of humor..."

His hand returned to its previous place on her ankle, and she couldn't help but smile.

* * *

“ _Yokai goo is bad enough, don’t touch unless you’re wearing gloves_!” Emi and Keiko sing-songed. Kohaku laughed, hands on his hips. 

“Very good, girls. Your mom’s been teaching you a lot, huh?” 

“We know another one!” Emi erupted, brushing her hair out of her eyes. She’d taken to yanking out her bows lately, even as she complained that her bangs were always falling in her face. “ _If you can see the bear_ \--

“It’s _if you can see the glare_ ,” Keiko argued, “and the rest is: _then it’s an oni with yokai hair_!” 

Kohaku laughed harder. That rhyme hadn’t been one of his dad’s best; still, some taijiya ran into hair yokai often enough that it was worth remembering. Before he could ask the girls if they’d been taught anything about centipede yokai yet, Miroku’s voice interrupted them. 

“Kohaku, you’re back already?” 

“I am,” the taijiya turned to nod at his brother-in-law in greeting. “Where is--” 

“Daddy!” Emi and Keiko ducked around their uncle to fling themselves at their father. He sighed as he brushed his hand through one twin’s hair. 

“Emi, where are your bows?” 

"I put them on Mushin. He looks pretty!” She gave him a winning grin that he had to return. 

“Ah, I’m sure he does…” 

“Miroku, where’s my sister?” Kohaku tried to keep his tone light-hearted, despite his concern. They’d gone on their latest slaying trip a few days ago, to deal with a sudden infestation of rat yokai affecting a fishing town. The same night they’d arrived, Sango had been directed to the town on the other side of the river that claimed to have the same issue. The other town was only two miles and a bridge away, but that had been the last time they talked. When Kohaku went to fetch her after his mission was complete, the townspeople had said she’d already left. 

“Ah, yes. She arrived back yesterday.” Miroku smiled, which immediately put Kohaku more at ease. If Sango had been injured, certainly her husband would have noticed. “It was very late at night when she came in. After breakfast this morning, she and Inuyasha went to spar.” 

“Really?” It was a little strange for Sango to want more practice after a strenuous mission; especially after being away from her kids for a few nights. Not to mention that in order to beat him and Kilala back to the village, she would have had to travel without much sleep. But then, Kohaku mused, perhaps her mission had been simple to complete, leaving her with a manner of unspent energy. “That’s a relief that she seems okay. I was worried when she took off without me.” 

“How was your extermination, then? I’m sure you have plenty of good stories for the girls.” 

“Did you kill a lot of yokai, Uncle?” Emi piped up, tugging on his arm. “I bet the people were really happy to see you.” 

Keiko reached a hand towards his kusarigama, only pulling away at her father’s stern under-the-breath warning. “Did they call you their hero?”

Kohaku blushed, pushing away memories of a relieved, grateful smile and rough fingers pressing against the back of his hand. “It’s not as glamorous as all that…”

“What’s glamorous?” The girls chorused in unison. 

“It’s another word for fancy,” Miroku explained. “Like making Mushin wear your bows.” 

“Either way, being a taijiya is a lot of hard work.” Kohaku smiled down at the twins, twisting his kusarigama so the handle was in Keiko’s reach. “You’ll each get a chance to see what it’s like soon.”

Keiko’s fingers were an inch from the smooth metal before her father’s own hand caught them, drawing them away from the weapon. “Soon, maybe, but not right now. Right now, we have to go visit Lady Kagome.” 

Emi shrieked at a pitch that danced right on the edge between cute and annoying. “Are we gonna see the baby?” 

"We are.” Miroku turned to Kohaku. “Would you like to accompany us?” 

“I want to change first, and say hello to Rin and Lady Kaede.” Kohaku rehooked the kusarigama more securely onto his belt. “But I’ll come by after.” 

“We will see you later, then.” Miroku took each twin by the hand. “Come on, let’s go.”

As they walked away, the girls' sing-songed rhymes echoed in Kohaku's ears. " _If you can see the glare..."_

* * *

Miles and miles away, hidden beneath dark lines of dying trees, a single figure knelt in the mud and prayed.

River-water diverted from its path had created a green-blue pool, where Okkoto the leader of the boar tribe placed both hands. Voice rasping, he murmured, “We beg for your continued protection, O Spirit. We beg for you to keep our wives and children safe, O Spirit, as our war continues. We beg for a thousand plagues to fall upon the house of that arrogant heretic, Lord Se--” 

“Dad, are you done yet? I’m hungry.” 

Closing his eyes, Okkoto willed the rage in his heart to settle. Without turning around, he snapped, “Your father is _busy._ Why don’t you go make yourself useful, and tend to some of the wounded?” 

“You know, if those prayers were any good, we wouldn’t have any wounded.” Leaning against a nearby tree, Taichi crossed both arms over his growling stomach. Two short tusks protruded from the wide slash of his frown. 

“That’s not how it works!” Slamming both his hands into the pool sent a spurt of water into Okkoto’s face. Breathing in deeply, the white-faced boar yokai counted to ten. “Look. Help the wounded, go forage, I don’t care. We have been blessed with a great weapon against our enemy, so I must thank our savior in order for us to _keep being blessed with it.”_

“I still think the whole thing is kind of weird. Like, what’s so great about a--” 

“ _Show some respect!”_ Okkoto roared, patience snapping as easily as a twig beneath an oni’s foot. “It’s bad enough that so many of our yokai brethren have lost the old ways, but to hear it from you! After everything the gods did for you, saving your life when you were but--”

“But three days old. Yes, I got it. Sorry.” Taichi slumped against the tree with a whine. “I’m _sorry_ , but I’m just so hungry, Dad.” 

There was a long, tense silence. Then Okkoto sighed. “There should be something in the pack in my tent. You can have that.” 

“Thanks, Dad!” Whirling around, Taichi froze and slapped both hands together. “Oh, uh, and thank you, spirits!” 

Okkoto sighed in relief as his son bounded off into the brush. _Perhaps there is hope for him after all._ Bending so his wrinkled forehead brushed the muddy ground, he hissed, “O Spirit, I...forgot what I was saying before, but please know how deeply I appreciate your blessings upon us.” 

After a moment, a voice echoed in his ears, wind rushing around the wiry hair on his neck. 

_With worship comes power. With power comes blessings._

_In helping me, you help yourself._

“O Spirit, thank you for your words! Since the first moment we spoke, I knew you would be the deity that would usher in a new era for the boar yokai tribe. Please, what can I do to prove our devotion?” 

For a moment, he thought that the voice had disappeared. Then the water beneath his palms rippled, as the winds around him picked up speed. 

  
_Listen carefully..._


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The best reward for a wait with a long-ass chapter. 
> 
> Please let me know your thoughts, I loved seeing people's comments along the way with the last one <3

“Shit,” Inuyasha groaned, rotating one shoulder. “Did you have to kick that hard?” 

“Just because you hold back doesn’t mean I have to,” Sango retorted from where she sat on the ground, arms draped over her knees. Sweat poured down her face, and strands of hair stuck to her forehead and the side of her neck. When the hanyou reached out with his other arm, she allowed him to haul her into a standing position. 

“You doin’ okay?” The stiffness in her movements was obvious.

Avoiding his curious gaze, Sango nodded. “Yeah. Fine.” When Inuyasha kept staring, she pasted a smile on her face and continued, “Thanks for doing this with me. I really needed to work out that one move.” 

“No problem. It gave me a break from the constant crying-feeding-changing cycle we’ve been stuck in.” Picking his suikan up from the side of the sparring ground, Inuyasha pulled it over his head. His next words were slightly muffled as he wrestled the robe back on. “I don’t know how you did it with twins; just one baby has  _ me  _ ready to throw myself off of a cliff.” 

Swallowing the nervous flutter in her throat, Sango replied, “I’m sure that’s mostly the sleep deprivation talking.” 

After a moment, he added, “Are you  _ sure  _ you’re--”

“I’m fine, okay? Just frustrated after my last mission.” She took a few seconds to readjust her ponytail as she tried to figure out what parts to explain. “The rat yokai weren’t difficult to put down; it was just...you’d think a fishing town would be sensitive to their food stores being invaded. But there were no protections in place at all, and I didn’t see any in the town that we arrived in either.”

“Idiots.” Inuyasha tapped one bare foot on the ground. “Did they at least pay well?” 

“Yeah, very. Makes sense, because there was a  _ lot  _ to take care of.” Talk about a workout...her shoulders ached at the memory of how much swinging she’d had to do with Hiraikotsu. “When I asked if they had any idea why the infestation was so bad, they all shut right up.” 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “Kohaku say the same thing about his mission?” 

Sango flushed. “I, um, didn’t get a chance to talk to him before leaving.” 

Inuyasha’s eyes widened in surprise. Not that he was dumb enough to say anything to her about it directly, but in the past six years Sango had been resolutely  _ attached _ to her younger brother. Especially during taijiya trips, which they all suspected might trigger some less-than-pleasant memories for the younger sibling. 

He and Kagome might have been pretty much housebound for the past few months, but he doubted things could have changed  _ that  _ much. 

Before he could ask her anything further, Sango changed the subject. “We should head back together. Miroku probably took the girls to yours, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Shippo and Baby Mushin end up there too. Poor Kagome will be pulling her hair out.” 

“Mark my words,” The claw that pointed at her in an overly stuffy manner made Sango snort. “Ever since he got the second tail, Shippo’s been acting all high and mighty, and your son just eats it right up. He’s gonna take up the position of Town Troublemaker any day now.” 

She laughed, stuffing down the fluttering feeling again. “How do you know yours won’t take the title?” 

“Because she loves me too much to ever cause me that much pain.” One corner of his mouth lifted, flashing a fang. “Or at least she will, soon as she stops spittin’ up on herself so much…” 

Sango waited for him to turn before letting her smile fall away. Then, with a huff of exhaustion, she followed the hanyou up the hill. 

* * *

Kagura tried not to stare at everything they passed in the hall as she, Sesshomaru, and Jaken made their way to the Lady of the Sky Castle’s dining room. The enormous, colorful paintings lining the walls on either side of them were just as striking as the carefully polished yokai bones accenting the crown molding. Unfortunately, both of her traveling companions were moving rather quickly. Not only that: their postures remained stiff, as though prepared for attack at any moment. 

“You’re nervous, aren’t you,” she hissed to Sesshomaru, bumping his arm with her elbow.

“Of course he’s nervous!” Jaken snapped; his refusal to turn around saved him from seeing Kagura stick her tongue out at the back of his head. “The Lady of the Sky Castle has extremely high expectations for the conduct of those within her lands, and here  _ you  _ are, a foul-mouthed former servant of Naraku who doesn’t even wear shoes! What else would--”

“Hush _ , _ ” Sesshomaru snapped. One boot landed on the back of Jaken’s robe so that the imp fell forward with a yelp. “Kagura has attended at my suggestion. You will not question my judgment.”

“You know, if you could do that  _ before  _ he insults me next time, that would be preferable,” the wind witch said. Sesshomaru chose to ignore her in favor of pushing a pair of wide double doors open, striding in without waiting for a response from the occupants inside. 

“Mother.” His head dipped, arm falling back to keep Kagura a step behind. Jaken flung himself into a bow that ended up looking more like a spasmic fit than it did a show of reverence. 

At the end of a long wooden table sat the Lady of the Sky Castle. Of the collection of plates and goblets stationed on the table, hers were already full of food and wine--the latter of which was half gone. A gray-clad soldier stood at the lady daiyokai’s left elbow looking grim; at the flick of two fingers, she appeared to melt into the wall.

“Come have something to eat.” Painted lips turned up into a soft curve as she appraised the three creatures on the opposite side of the room. “Then we can talk business.”

_ Straight to ordering people around...Sesshomaru gets his strange social behavior from her, then.  _ Kagura moved towards a chair, only to freeze as Mother tapped her nails loudly on the table.

“ _ You  _ come sit by me.” If the mischievous delight hadn’t been so obvious in her voice, Sesshomaru’s annoyed sigh would have given it away. “Since we haven’t had the chance to get to know each other.” 

“Allow me, my Lady! This is the wind sorceress, Kagura!” Scurrying to a chair on the opposite side of the table (which just so happened to be out of his master’s reach), Jaken added, “Once the servant of the evil hanyou Naraku, she is now under the protection of the great Lord Sesshomaru!” 

“Don’t make me sound so helpless and him so great,” Kagura hissed, slamming both hands on the table. “Damn, you’re annoying…”

“We don’t need to be fed, Mother,” Sesshomaru said, still standing. 

Swirling the liquid in her goblet around, Mother turned to Kagura. “Is that true?” 

Whatever kind of game this was, Kagura felt pretty confident that she would lose no matter what answer she gave. “I’ll eat even if he won’t.” 

Mother’s smile widened. At the end of the table, Sesshomaru fought to look on the bright side.  _ At least they seem to be united in frustrating me, rather than placing me in the middle of a conflict.  _

As she inspected the food options, Kagura also inspected the lady daiyokai in the next seat. Obviously she carried the same poison claws as Sesshomaru, but unlike him there were no obvious weapons in her ensemble. The large stone set in a beaded necklace--was that the artifact that had rescued Rin from the Underworld? In all honestly it was a hideous piece of jewelry; she would never understand why creatures loved to make their instruments of power so gaudy. 

Something that she did understand completely, however, was that Sesshomaru’s mother had an absurdly strong demonic aura. Being this close was already triggering her natural response to self-protect, sending tremors through her arms and legs. She wondered how a being like Jaken could stand it.

Still refusing to take a seat, Sesshomaru let his attention turn to the soldier pressed against the wall of the room. It wasn’t like his mother to eat with a guard present; and this one seemed nervous, avoiding the eye of every other person in the room. Perhaps he wasn’t the only one dealing with political curiosities as of late. 

“Kagura.” Mother's eyes scanned the wind witch, tone as pleasant as if she was speaking to a long-known friend. “Tell me, how did you come to leave your former employer?”

_ How much does she already know?  _ Sesshomaru had warned Kagura on their journey that his mother often asked questions she already had answers to; that games of power and intelligence, especially petty and pointless ones, were her favorite thing. And surely Naraku’s violence had been well-known, by even creatures like her. Still, what else could she answer with but the truth? 

“I was killed by Naraku before his final defeat.” Shrugging as though the words were simple and not heart-twisting, Kagura added, “Then I happened to be resurrected through a wager between gods, and since that time I’ve resided in the Western lands.” 

“And my son allows this? Fascinating. What are the origins of your relationship?” 

Sneaking a peek at Sesshomaru’s expression didn’t do her any good; his face was smooth as stone, void of any clues as to what Mother thought (or perhaps what he’d already told her). And Jaken, for his part, wore a visage too pale and horrified for Kagura to find useful. 

“At the time of my enslavement, I asked Sesshomaru--” --she ignored Jaken’s hissed swear at her continued refusal to use the daiyokai’s title-- “to kill Naraku, so that I could be free. He refused. When I tried to take his advice, and achieve my goals by my own means, it didn’t work. Obviously.”  _ So many cheerful memories to relive...where’s the wine?  _

“And yet here you are. Alive, free, and residing with him.” Something wicked spun in the corner of the lady daiyokai’s lips. “I’m sure that, outside of one divine wager, much of that is due to your own merit.” 

_ If that’s what she thinks, then I’ll take it.  _ Kagura turned her focus to her meal, filling her goblet with wine and taking a generous sip. 

“A lot has changed in the past few years,” Sesshomaru said, a sliver of impatience seeping into his tone. “Our first interactions have little to do with more recent events.” 

“Oh, I disagree.” Mother beamed at Kagura shamelessly. “The past has everything to do with the present. After all, one becomes the other rather quickly.” For the first time, she addressed the soldier against the wall. “What is it that your father used to say, Hisako?” 

“Ignoring our history dishonors those that came before us,” came the answer, almost mechanical in its response. 

“Yes, that’s right.” Mother paused in her study of the wind witch. The energy of the room darkened considerably, so quickly that Kagura nearly dropped her cup. “In a similar vein--any man that dishonors a woman in his anger also dishonors his mother.” 

Violet eyes turned to glare across the table at Sesshomaru, crackling with a challenge. A glance at the wind witch clarified the root of the Lady of the Sky Castle’s anger; two puncture wounds, swollen and pink, were visible on the skin of the wind witch’s hand that grasped the wine goblet. 

“Those were not made in anger,” Sesshomaru said steadily. “Kagura requested it.”

“She seeks to build a tolerance to dog demon poison, my Lady,” Jaken squawked, bowing his head towards the table. “Using a goddess’ cup to purge it when the pain becomes too much.” 

Claws tapped the table in a patternless melody. Mother frowned. “Why is that?” 

“It seemed like a good idea.” Kagura pulled the sleeve down further to show a series of faded scars. “To put us on a more equal footing?” 

If Sesshomaru got his stoic expression from his mother, then the slight widening of Mother’s eyes was probably akin to flipping the table over.  _ Why does that surprise her?  _ Kagura wondered. Even Jaken hadn’t reacted to the idea with enough drama that she would have thought it too controversial. 

“Interesting.” Mother’s piercing tone communicated nothing had been smoothed over. “I must say I would not have expected my son to acquiesce to such a request. You must have quite the talent for convincing, Kagura.” 

“What some might call manipulation,” Jaken muttered under his breath, though both the daiyokai in the room were quite capable of hearing it.

“It’s not easy to convince him of anything,” Kagura replied, ignoring the pair of long-suffering glares sent her way by the lord and servant. “As I’m sure you can understand, he’s quite stubborn.” 

“He gets that from his father.” Mother hid her smile behind her goblet. Her tone softened to become thoughtful. “Can be quite fun, in the right context…”

“There are matters of actual importance to discuss,” Sesshomaru snapped, cutting off whatever Kagura’s response would be. “And our time is limited.” 

“Very well.” Standing, Mother nodded her head towards Kagura. “Please come see us in the adjoining room when you’re finished. Hisako will show you the way.” 

As soon as the two daiyokai had left the room, Kagura felt something like a very solid grip releasing its hold on her lungs. “Wow, their combined auras are certainly something…”

“We’re very lucky that the Lady seems to like you,” Jaken hissed, slumping against the table. “Worrying about your attitude versus her homicidal tendencies kept Lord Sesshomaru up all night!” 

“Oh, that’s not what kept him up.” Kagura smirked as the servant’s screeching filled the hall. She didn’t like using comments like that to upset Jaken too often, but for some reason she felt like she deserved it this time. 

* * *

“Building her tolerance to your poison...things must be serious, then.” Mother mused quietly as they entered the war room. Shelves lined three of the four walls, some lined with written records, some with neatly labeled weapons and chemical agents. She traced the line of atlases on the shelf closest to her reach. “And she’s not a typical wind yokai, if she was merely an incarnation to begin with. I’d be curious to see what her abilities are like.” 

At her son’s stiffening posture, she placed a hand on his arm. “Was she with you when you went to meet Okkoto’s forces?” 

“No. Kagura does as she pleases while I am away.” Sesshomaru was shaking his head before his sentence was complete; Mother’s concern was visible enough on her face. “Don’t ask me what my intentions are.” 

“You’re not a child anymore, so I won’t warn you to be careful.” Gripping his arm more firmly, she let her tone drop down to a near whisper. “You are obligated to act when the Western lands are under siege; what is it that diverts her attention?” 

“I don’t demand explanations.” There was too much else requiring concern, such as Okkoto’s motives and the identity of the boar tribe’s potential ally. 

“My beloved son.” Mother chose her words carefully, hiding the effort it took in the typical manner of a lady. “Is Kagura ready for what being a true equal would mean?” 

The Western Lord’s teeth grit together sharply. “If she’s not, would you suggest that I replace her?” 

“Monogamy is not necessary for a creature of your station.” She tapped the necklace lying across her breast pointedly. “Your wife must balance you in power and judgment, and be willing to undertake the same responsibilities that you have in protecting the Western Lands. That is all that is required.” 

“I know.” 

“But one cannot properly rule a land they feel disconnected from. It is like asking someone to raise a child they despise--something that is unvalued will never be cherished. The lack of effort will stunt any growth.”

“I  _ know. _ ”

The less he wanted to speak on the subject, the more concerned she became. Mother sighed, pressing one hand to her cheek. “Such a lesson in compassion took you many years to learn. Perhaps she also has a human pet that can be thrown into peril…” 

Sesshomaru bristled, demonic energy flaring. “I do not require you to approve of her!”

“As it should be.” Mother’s hand fell back to her side. The rage in him stoked her own, a dousing of ice water to a blazing fire. “As your father’s heir, you must be resolute in your decisions. If you truly wish to commit to this woman, why have you faltered? I have said nothing that you don’t already know.”

His jaw snapped shut. By the frustration burning red in his eyes, Mother knew she’d won. Such a thing didn’t give her much pleasure; it merely was. 

“This has nothing to do with my approval.  _ You _ fear asking the question that would confirm an answer you don’t want to hear. Don’t make the mistake of accusing me again.” 

“Then let us change the subject,” he growled. “Have you heard of boar yokai attacking human villages for reasons other than to feed?” 

Before she could answer, loud raps sounded on the door. The sound surprised both daiyokai more than it should have. Hisako and Kagura entered the room, the former with a bow. 

“Sesshomaru. My Lady.” Folding her arms across her chest, the wind witch swallowed the strange taste of the formal words in her mouth.  _ Hopefully it’ll distract these two from whatever’s making them so tense… _

“Just in time.” The Lady of the Sky Castle turned to pull a book from a high shelf. “There have been instances of yokai alliances made with humans against especially high-powered enemies. However, since the explosion of human populations across the four lands, it is much more common to fight over resources. After all, not everyone is like your brother--” 

“Okkoto is not allying with humans,” Sesshomaru snapped. “He simply is raiding their villages with minimal casualties, like a disease that refuses to kill once it infects. Not only that, but I believe he has one or more wind yokai allied with him to slow our progress in removing his influence.”

“So that is why you came to me.” The Lady of the Sky Castle flipped carefully through the pages of the book in her arms. Each turn let a small puff of dust rise into the air. “I have signed treaties going back since before my grandmother’s time with the snow and wind yokai in the North and the West. Their tribes’ allegiances are to me, and by the North’s allegiance with the West, to you.”

Bored already, Kagura turned to the shelf at her right shoulder. On her other side, Hisako cringed as the wind witch tapped a nail against a delicate-looking blade. 

“Many treaties are not honored. Especially those one or two allegiances removed,” Sesshomaru pointed out. 

The next few pages that Mother turned in the book had been more recently used; the scent of the ink on the page was still sharp. “For  _ you _ to be setback, my beloved son, would require more than a few defectors to accomplish. But perhaps there is another explanation.” 

She held the book out to him. At that moment, Kagura’s elbow knocked against a mounted battle-ax, sending it flying off the wall with a loud bang. Sesshomaru turned to glare at the wind witch, teeth bared in annoyance. Under her breath, Kagura muttered something about needing stronger shelves. 

“Do you have a theory you’d like to suggest, Kagura?” The Lady of the Sky Castle waved a hand at Hisako to retrieve the fallen weapon. From the way Sesshomaru’s glare fell away into something more complex, Kagura wondered if the question was a test. 

“Perhaps it’s a...less typical wind yokai. Like an incarnation, or a mixed breed.” She shrugged one shoulder. “I wasn’t there, so...” 

Sesshomaru’s eyes slid to the book before him. In his mother’s elegant, long-lettered hand were several accounts dated a few months back. 

“While traveling to and from the winter estate this past summer, several servants reported crossing paths with the same creature. A woman, possibly yokai, carrying a strange weapon of sorts.” Mother’s head dipped minutely, as she watched him read. “She acted strange, refusing to engage with any that crossed her path, human or yokai. Then, two weeks after the last report, several out-of-season storms tore across the cliffs by the sea.” 

Storms, a strange woman...a sour taste entered his mouth as a new possibility reared its head. Kagura’s voice from behind him sounded almost far away. 

“Why would they think to report that?” 

“Because I request they report anything uncommon or strange,” Mother replied simply. “Situations like yours don’t arise overnight. There are many clues that show beforehand; knowing them helps me decide what situations require my involvement.” 

“But there’s nothing to indicate that the storms had anything to do with her, or that she’s involved with the boar yokai--” 

“Did they identify the weapon?” Sesshomaru interrupted.

Mother gestured to the book. “All the details are recorded there. Whatever is written is the same thing they will no doubt tell your retainer. I take it the reason he isn’t with us at this moment is because you sent him to interrogate my staff.” 

Kagura bit back her impressed smile.  _ She’s his mother, of course she’d know exactly what he was up to… _

Unable to hide his frustration, Sesshomaru slammed the book shut and handed it back to his mother. “I will investigate. We may need to speak again.” 

“I look forward to it.” A sudden softness blossomed in the lady daiyokai’s face. “There is always a place for you here.”

The plainness of the words struck Kagura’s heart, freezing her for just a moment. In a single sentence, the powerful daiyokai standing in front of her with a nearly-suffocating aura was also a doting mother, missing her son.

Sesshomaru was perhaps unsure how to return or even acknowledge the affection. He settled for dipping his head. Though Kagura supposed the Lady was used to it, from the smile that the action earned. Then the Western Lord brushed past her, gripping Bakusaiga’s hilt with one hand. 

“Come. We must locate Jaken.” 

Kagura hurried to catch up, calling over her shoulder with hopefully enough reverence in her voice, “Thanks for the food!” 

Violet eyes watched the wind witch and daiyokai make their way down the hall. Sighing, Mother set the book back on the shelf. “He certainly makes things difficult on himself...”

* * *

“Did you hurt yourself recently?” 

Sango set the soup ladle back in the pot with a clatter. “For the hundredth time, no.” 

Miroku held up both hands in a placating gesture. “I’m just asking. You seem tense, even after sparring.” 

Why was everyone so suspicious? “I’m  _ fine _ . It’s just that--”

A weight settled solidly against her leg. She looked down into a pair of huge brown eyes that tugged at every single one her heart-strings. 

“Mama, I’m hungry.” 

“I know, my love. I’m working on it.” Stirring the pot more rapidly, she patted her son’s head with her other hand. “Go play with your sisters.”

“I don’t want to,” he wailed, latching more solidly onto her leg. “It’s the slayer game, 'n I’m always the demon.” 

“Then play another game,” she suggested, struggling to reach the jar of salt with his weight holding her in place. “How about exorcism?”

“They still make me the demon!” 

“How about this,” Miroku interrupted, unhooking his son’s hands from Sango’s thigh. “I smelled Yukina baking bread this afternoon. The three of you can go next door and ask if you can have some to eat with your dinner.” 

Excitement shone from the little boy’s face. With another encouraging pat on his head he was racing to the door, screaming his sister’s names. 

“Thank you,” Sango sighed. Her husband nodded, coming over to ladle scoops of rice into the collection of bowls on the table. 

“Kagome said something interesting while we were visiting the baby,” he said, tone casual but face drawn. “Did you ask Inuyasha to commission a pair of taijiya weapons from Totosai for Keiko and Emi?” 

“Yeah, but that was right before the baby was born, so I doubt he remembered to actually do it.” Leaning back from a cloud of steam that wafted from the soup pot, she admitted, “Ideally I would have made them myself, but things have just been so busy.”

“Do you think that it’s necessary?” 

She shot him an incredulous look. “It’s not like they can lift Hiraikotsu.” 

Picking up a bowl of rice in each hand, he turned away to arrange them. By now she knew that his real motivation was to hide his expression; the blessing was that he couldn’t see hers shift, as he sighed, “Perhaps we should wait another year.” 

“It’s not like I’m tossing them straight into Mistress Centipede’s jaws,” she snapped. “And they’re the same age as I was when I first started with combat training.” 

“You grew up in a taijiya village,” Miroku pointed out, though he immediately regretted it--Sango slammed her ladle back into the soup pot and spun around. Her face carried a mixture of hurt and anger that he hated to ascribe to his own actions, however reasonable he felt them to be. 

“Yes, a village that doesn’t  _ exist anymore  _ because of Naraku. He tried to destroy my people, Miroku. Training the girls is how I honor my father and everything he built.” 

“I know.” He reached both hands out, only to let them fall to his sides. The look in her eyes made him feel like he was being vivisected. “I’m just saying that maybe we no longer live in a world where children must learn how to fight to survive. At least not at such a young age. For now, exorcisms and demon-slaying can be just games they play, instead of responsibilities to bear. Perhaps that’s--”

“It’s not just to survive,” Sango argued. Twisting away, she dumped sloppy spoonfuls of soup into more bowls, splattering broth across the home’s cooking surface. It barely even registered, with the growing sense of betrayal buzzing in her brain. “I was taught how to protect myself  _ and  _ others, how to make my own money, what it means to honor my family’s values and traditions--”

“I understand that--”

“No you don’t!” Every bowl was full; Sango braced herself against the table. Before common sense could catch up, she snapped, “The only tradition your family has is getting as many girls into bed as possible.” 

Miroku froze. Hurt filled the space between his ribs, his lungs, his heart; but at that moment a chorus of loud voices filled the room, as his three children returned. Each carried a warm piece of bread, and with all the demands for attention, there was no space left for his or Sango’s feelings. So he packed it up, buried it deep within his chest, and got his son and daughters settled for dinner. 

* * *

Ah-Un’s body weaved between the clouds with practiced ease as they reentered the heart of the Western Lands. Settled on the two-headed dragon’s back, Kagura’s patience was reaching its end. 

“Are you going to say what’s troubling you, or just mope?” She resisted the urge to poke at the marks on Sesshomaru’s face; bothering him when he was like this never worked in her favor. He shook his head once in response, and she rolled her eyes. “I don’t think it went so badly. The Lady of the Sky Castle is interesting, to be sure, but her information helped, didn’t it?” 

When she didn’t get a response, she turned to Jaken instead. “Help me out, would you?” 

“She does seem to like Kagura, my Lord,” the imp sighed. More quietly, he hissed to Kagura, “Though what Lord Sesshomaru must contend with has nothing to do with something so trivial.” 

“Well, neither one of you will explain it to me,” she snapped back. “And mind-reading was Goshinki’s thing, not mine--” 

“When I have decided what to do about it,” Sesshomaru said, making both Kagura and Jaken jump (and the latter nearly fall from Ah-Un’s saddle), “then I will explain things.” 

“You better.” When he met her eyes for a split second, she rewarded him with what was hopefully an encouraging smile.  _ There’s no need to keep things from me, you foolish man.  _

_ We’re equals, aren’t we?  _

* * *

“Do you think we created some kind of time paradox?” 

Inuyasha stared at his wife, seemingly waiting for a signal that she was just joking. When none came, he stammered, “Uh, I guess if we did, she’s...an awfully cute little paradox?” 

Kagome gave a thoughtful nod. “That’s true.” 

His shoulders sagged with relief. “Even if she ain’t got the ears…” 

Walking over to the bedroll, he bent to smooth a hand over the downy head of his sleeping daughter. Kaede had told him that at three months, she should start being able to sleep through the night. Which, if that was true, would be a blessing to both him and Kagome. 

The priestess passed the bundle into his arms. Then she stretched both arms over her head with a groan. “You know what else is cute, though?” 

“Uh, am I supposed t' say you?” He was rewarded with an eye-roll and a flash of tongue. 

“No, cheeseball.” Her fingers worked her hair into a bun at the top of her head. “The entire world outside this house. It would be nice to see it more often.” 

“You’re right.” Rocking his weight back and forth to keep the baby asleep, Inuyasha thought back to his morning spar with Sango. “Getting back to normal stuff’s nice.” 

“I don’t just mean the village, though.” Kagome’s hands fell from her hair to rub at the dark circles under her eyes. Her next words seemed dry and brittle. “Whenever I go, everyone’s bugging me. ‘Have you done this’, ‘what about that’, ‘why isn’t she doing this yet’. No matter what era they’re in, everybody thinks they know how to take care of your kid better than you...”

“Tell ‘em to buzz off, or get Sango to do it. And hey!” He waited until she was looking at him, bottom lip puffing out dangerously close to a pout. “Just say when, and we can go for a picnic or something. Outside the wall.” 

“Oh, that would be so nice!” Moving closer, she pressed a sloppy kiss to his cheek. He twisted to catch her lips before she could pull away. 

“You know,” he mumbled against her mouth. “They’re prob’ly just botherin’ ya because she’s--”

“The cutest little time paradox in the world?” Lifting the bundle from his arms, she made sure the edges were tucked in just right. “With the sweetest little eyes and chubby cheeks and tiny hands?”

“Sure.” That was what he wished was the case, anyway. “Shippo comin’ home anytime soon?” 

“Oh, I don’t know.” Shaking her head, Kagome sighed, “He was here when everybody came to say hi, but then I don’t know where he got to. Maybe he went with Miroku and Sango for dinner?” 

Inuyasha frowned. Lately, it seemed like the kitsune was everywhere except where he needed to be.  _ That damn second tail’s gone to his head… _

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Kagome started; whatever else she had to say was interrupted as the baby in her grasp twisted, sending one fist curling towards her chin. “Oh, but it’s only been an hour--”

Inuyasha’s ears twitched violently at his daughter’s shriek. “Just think about the cute li’l eyes and cheeks and hands…” 

* * *

He awoke from the dream with a rumbling growl, his hand already on Bakusaiga. The fang’s blade vibrated with agreement that something was wrong. Heart beating loud and fast in his chest, he scanned all sides of the room for a threat. 

Nothing. 

A cold arm wrapped around his side, sleepy voice following. “What is it?” 

Gold eyes narrowed as he continued to stare into the darkness. Certainty that the sense of wrongness was not simply due to his imagination boiled in his blood. Muscles tense and still, he growled again, filling the room with a challenge.

Five fingers pressed flat against his chest, above where his heart lay. He didn’t move, still waiting. After a few moments without an answer, she sat up fully. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the pale stretch of her upper body, blankets falling around her waist, as she pulled her fan from underneath her pillow. 

It was as if a signal; the window suddenly slammed open, winds rushing violently into the room. Kagura dispelled them with a sweep of her arm before they reached the bed, her speed more impressive than he would have expected at her abrupt awakening. 

Ominous words, as though someone was speaking directly in his ear:  _ What is mine will return. Always.  _

The voice was familiar, somehow. 

Feminine. 

Angry. 

Unforgiving. 

“The fuck was that?” Kagura slammed the window shut, hair falling around her shoulders. He frowned and released his deathly tight grip on the sword. Yawning, she walked back over to the bed. When Sesshomaru didn’t move, she made a point out of crawling over him. Her knee hit his stomach as she settled back in, most likely on purpose.   


Only after she was comfortable again, did he speak. 

“We will depart in the morning.” 


	3. Chapter Three

_ Clank.  _

Miroku set the cup of tea in front of his wife. Steam wafted into the air, and Sango wrinkled her nose at the scent that followed. 

“Thank you.”

He nodded shortly, walking around the table to lay a hand on Emi’s head. “No bows again?” 

She shook her head, too busy bickering with her sister to explain. Miroku sat cross-legged at the corner of the table, mouth folding into a paper-thin line. 

Though older, Emi and Keiko were too loud to notice the gaping silence between their parents as they all dug into breakfast. Only Mushin, with his large brown eyes and sensitive heart, sensed it. Though he couldn’t guess what was wrong, still he leaned his head against his father’s arm. “It’s okay, Daddy...” 

Sango gulped from the cup before her, ignoring the spread of burn across the roof of her mouth and trail of her throat. Maybe she deserved it, if she was going to allow hurtful things to leave her mouth without apologies to accompany them. 

With everything going on inside--aches spreading from her head to her chest to all her lower-body muscles--all her energy was going to pretend things were fine. Right now, she didn’t have anything left to try and see Miroku’s side of things. 

When the cup was empty, Sango stood. Mushin’s eyes followed the glint of morning light along his mother’s arm-guards as she swept her hair up into a ponytail. 

“Sparring again?” Miroku said. Instead of the sharpness she expected, his voice sounded hollow. 

She shook her head. “I used the last of my poisons at the fishing town. Kohaku has Kilala with him, so I’ll just walk.”

“Can we go, Mama?” Keiko slapped both hands on the table. “Rin’s showed me her healing plants! I can help!” 

“These are different kinds of plants, Keiko.” Not wanting to look and see what her husband’s expression could be, Sango went to the other side of the room to try and find a basket she could use. Several toys threatened to trip her up as she went--why did they have so much junk in the house? “Some of them can be very dangerous to humans, too.” 

“But I  _ want  _ to help.” Keiko’s lip quivered. 

“Please, Mama?” Emi jumped in, stretching the vowels in each word beseechingly. 

“When I get back, we can talk about what they look like and how to use them.” Without looking over her shoulder, she called out to Miroku, “Can you handle lunch?” 

“We’ll be fine.” The emptiness in his voice seemed to stab straight into her, like arrows from all sides. Her fingers closed on the handle of her sewing supplies basket. Without another word, Sango upended it to send snippets of cloth, thread, and two wooden needles falling to the floor. 

“Mama!” Mushin shouted at the noise. 

Slinging the basket up her arm, she scooped the whole mess up and deposited it on top of the children’s clothes cupboard. Once Hiraikotsu was safely on her back, Sango opened her arms. “Come give me a hug before I leave?” 

Keiko and Emi’s matching frowns showed that she’d failed in her most important task--they could tell now that something was wrong. Still, all three children obeyed her request.

As the taijiya moved towards the door, Miroku’s hand came out to catch her wrist. Discomfort churned in her belly when he pressed his lips to her skin. 

“See you later.” His eyes were full of all the damned poetry that he knew she wouldn’t want to hear right now. It was annoying, though predictable; he’d always been the one to forgive first. 

Sango settled for brushing her knuckles against his bottom lip before pulling away. 

As she marched towards the village wall, obstinance took over. She wasn’t wrong, not about their girls and their training. And the implication, though subtle and unintended, that her children’s safety wasn’t her foremost concern? 

That one really hurt. It was as good a reason as any to push him away.

Even if it wasn’t the only one, it was at least the one he knew about. 

* * *

“We are pressed for time, you stupid witch!” Jaken shrieked, clutching his staff in both fists. From her position up in the tree, Kagura rolled her eyes.

“If that’s true, then why has he been talking to that crazy geezer for half an hour?” She turned to inspect the swollen purple fruits hanging from the branch above her head. Sesshomaru was in fine form today--dragging them out the door without breakfast, refusing to tell her what was going on in his head. 

_ Bastard’s lucky I put up with this shit.  _

“Lord Sesshomaru and Totosai’s conversation is none of your business!” 

Plucking a couple of fruits free, she tucked them in the crook of her elbow. “Then why am I here at all?” 

Jaken sniffed. “Perhaps he’s realized how foolish it is to leave his castle in less-than-capable hands so frequently.” 

One eyebrow lifted, then relaxed. “I suppose that explains why you’re with us.”

“What! How dare you--”

From inside, Totosai slammed his window shut with a yawn. “Are they always like that?” 

“Yes. Answer the question.” 

Totosai scratched his head. “No, I haven’t been tasked to build any weapons for a boar yokai. As for young lady customers, I had two bow-and-arrow sets and a spear repair.” 

When the answer seemed to only frustrate Sesshomaru more, the swordsmith hurried to add, “I have fussed around with some new designs for fans, lately. Perhaps your girl out there would be interested in--” 

“Do you remember the jar?” 

“Jar?” Both eyes bugged out of his head with the struggle to recall. “Uh, bought two of them with lovely dragon designs from a travelin’ waresman this winter. Been trying to spice up the decor--”

“The god’s jar that could trap winds,” came the snarled reply. 

“Oh, yes, yes! That little beauty. Sorry, old minds, you know how it--” He interrupted himself with a fit of nervous coughing as Bakusaiga started to shriek in impatience. “What’d you ever end up doing with it?” 

“Have you ever seen another? Broken or intact?” 

Totosai shook his head heartily. This one he knew for certain! “Nope, you’re the only creature to bring me such a thing.” 

"Who else could be capable of repairing it?” 

His chest puffed out proudly. “No one!” Then, just as quickly, he deflated. “Well, no one on earth. Perhaps the original deity that crafted the item. But there would be no point when they could just conjure another one. Like I said, when it comes to gods it’s really more about the ego than the instrument.” 

Without so much as a word of thanks, Sesshomaru stalked out the door. Peeking out the window, Totosai made sure he was a decent distance aways before muttering, “Oh, Toga, who would have thought you’d have a boy that uptight…” 

* * *

“Kagome, it’s so nice outside!” Bouncing across the room, Shippo set the cup of tea down by the priestess’ side. A little sloshed out onto the floor from his energy, but he didn’t bother to wipe it with his sleeve; only raced across the room with a wide grin. “We should go for a walk today!” 

“That’s a good idea, Shippo.” Balancing the nursing baby in the crook of one elbow, Kagome picked up the cup and took a sip, only to wrinkle her nose. “Did you just make this? It’s kind of cold--ow!” She shrieked, glaring down at her daughter. “How can you do that without having any  _ teeth  _ yet!” 

“Where’s Inuyasha?” Shippo poked his head out the window, banging both hands on the sill. His twin tails waved proudly behind him. “I have a new trick I wanna show him.”

“Uh, maybe you shouldn’t,” Kagome sighed, setting the cold tea aside. “Neither of us have been getting much sleep lately.”  _ All the noise has been putting off guests from staying at the inn, too... _

“So? He’s always in a bad mood, whether he sleeps or not.” 

“Shippo--”

“Come on, Kagome.” Voice turning into a whine, the kitsune turned to face her. “Where’d he go?” 

“Kaede’s. She wanted to talk to him about something, he didn’t say what.” 

Shippo’s tails fell flat, knowing he couldn’t get away with as much in the old priestess’ presence. “Oh.” 

“Once Minako’s done here, we can go for a walk up to see him. Just no pranks, please?” 

Huffing in a manner very similar to his hanyou friend, Shippo shook his head. “I’m not gonna  _ promise _ . Are you going to drink that?” 

“Well...” Kagome picked up the cup in her free hand again. “Could you warm it up a little bit?” 

To her surprise, Shippo looked obviously annoyed as he walked over to take it from her. She tried to be encouraging in the smile she gave him. “Thank you.” 

When his back was turned, she bent her head towards Minako. Five tiny fingers opened and closed around a lock of Kagome’s loose hair. Every morning, no matter how much she’d screamed the night before, the baby would stay quiet to nurse. 

What Kagome hadn’t mentioned in her explanation to Shippo was that, despite Minako’s obvious contributions to their long nights, Inuyasha had also been waking up from nightmares lately. Multiple instances per night, a few nights a week. And he’d been very clear that he didn’t want to talk about them with her.

Not that such a thing was really out of the ordinary for Inuyasha, but...it was still frustrating. In the three years they’d been apart, bad dreams had plagued her too--mainly of those few days lost in the Shikon jewel’s darkness. The most helpful thing had been her mother and grandfather reminding her that the jewel--or Naraku, or any of the other millions of things that had tried to kill and manipulate her--were gone forever. It was easy to get lost in the fear and anxiety of a bad dream, but most of the time it wasn’t rooted in anything truly sensible. 

_ If he would just talk to me, I could help him see that.  _

“Kagome?” 

Her head jerked up to see another cup of tea in front of her nose. “Oh! Thank you very much, Shippo.” 

“Uh huh.” Giving her a lazy thumbs up, the kitsune returned to his spot by the window. Kagome barely had time to take a sip before he straightened up with a shout. 

“Hey, some guy’s climbing over the wall!” 

* * *

“Where’s Taichi?” Okkoto’s roar echoed around the campsite, sending his secondary general and half a dozen soldiers’ heads ducking. Only Head General Ikue’s voice, tinged with resignation, responded. 

“He and five of the in-training group left this morning. They didn’t say what for.” 

The boar yokai leader’s growl was wordless. Ikue waited patiently for his eyes to fade back to their normal color before continuing. “We told him that the company would be moving out to the next village, and that it was especially important to stick together as it will be well-within Lord Sesshomaru’s lands.” 

“And what did he say?” 

She paused just long enough to have an effect, but just short enough that no one could accuse her of doing it on purpose. “He said, ‘We’ll see you there’.” 

" That stupid little--” Gripping each tusk with one hand, he tossed his head back and forth. Ikue mimicked a deep inhale and exhale, gesturing for her leader to follow. 

After a few breaths, Okkoto’s tone was more subdued. “Did you bury the dead?” 

“There was a cave in the cliffs. We moved them there, performed the rites.” She put an encouraging hand on his shoulder. “Your goddess speaks truth and has given us a mighty weapon. Focus on these things, instead of your troubles with Taichi.” 

Okkoto clapped his hand over hers. “I thought he would grow out of this... self-centered-ness. In the battles of the past few years, he has taken no initiative. The army cook offers to teach him a recipe for human-liver soup--oh, he’s not interested. He doesn’t remember all the steps to the rites, he still stumbles over the prayers...” 

“Perhaps it’s a good thing that he’s taken some soldiers out on his own, then,” Ikue said. She tried to sound upbeat, despite her leader’s dubious look. “Maybe it’s a sign he wants to lead.” 

“Knowing Taichi, he simply wanted to play a game of hide-and-seek in the woods,” Okkoto snorted. “With the winner getting to smash everyone else’s head with a rock.” 

“Well, if he does that, then it’s only five of the newest,” Ikue pointed out. “We’ll make him practice the rites on each of their graves.” 

Okkoto shook his head with a chuckle. “You always find a silver lining in my troubles.” 

“You always find a dark cloud in a blue sky,” she retorted. “All this whining about Taichi when soon, we will have rid this land from a God-killer and created a new era for our kind. It’s a good opportunity for him. After all, how could he remain so foolish with the power that will be in his hands?” 

A dark look was the reply. “Children seem to find a way.” 

* * *

“I suppose it’s been a while since we saw Rin. Are you excited?” 

Sesshomaru didn’t answer. Kagura tapped her fan against her thigh, wondering what tactic would be best to get him to loosen up already. This wasn’t even his usual annoying broodiness; she was used to that. No, something had thrown the daiyoaki for a loop in a way she really, really didn’t like--whether it had been part of the latest battle with Okkoto or the visit with his mother, she could only guess. 

_ Was it the putting his head in my lap thing? Maybe it was too intimate, and he’s second guessing it now. Or perhaps his mother said something about Rin and the Meido stone when I was out of the room, and now he’s going to check on her.  _

“Will I get a prize if I correctly guess what’s on your mind, then?”

Gold met red. “No need to guess. We will discuss it when we arrive.” 

“Why can’t we discuss it now?” 

“Lord Sesshomaru has his reasons, do not question him!” 

Kagura kicked a foot towards him, sending him reeling away from her with a squeal. “No one was talking to you!” 

Jaken scrambled to cling to Ah’s neck, putting more distance between them. A flash of scarlet glinted at her from his robes. The sight of the goddess’ cup siphoned off some of Kagura’s annoyance. It had been a few days since they’d practiced with poison; perhaps she would suggest a session once they were on the ground. Each time she could stand within the burn for a moment longer than before, the heady sense of strength and power got more and more addicting. 

She liked the way he looked at her in those moments, too. Like she was something impressive. 

“Ah-Un.” Sesshomaru nodded his head towards the ground. Obediently, the two-headed dragon descended; as soon as it’s claws touched dirt, Sesshomaru was giving orders. “Kagura and I will continue to the village from here. Jaken, take Ah-Un to the goddess’ lake. See what they know.” 

“See what they know about what?” Kagura crossed both arms, annoyance back in full force. “What does this have to do with those stupid women?”

“The goddesses are connected both to Rin and the divine world,” Sesshomaru replied, already walking away. “It is likely that they are involved.” 

“Involved in  _ what? _ A bunch of storms interrupting your game of war, and some random lady walking around--wait.” Kagura pressed one hand to her head, a headache erupting with a vengeance. Now she felt stupid for not putting it together earlier, which made her feel angry, and it was his fault, which meant she was angry  _ at him.  _ “Don’t fucking tell me--” 

“Hurry up or you’ll be left behind!” Jaken snapped, laying his staff across his lap to grab the reins around Ah-Un’s necks. Kagura mouthed something rude at him before racing after Sesshomaru. 

* * *

_ “Are you ready?”  _

_ Izuna gaped at the rectangular pool of water before Her. It seemed to drag her closer, steps leading into an ocean ten thousand times deeper than the one on Earth she’d prayed beside. Inky swirls of blue-black crashed in little waves at the edge of the marble floor, sending tiny rivulets stretching towards Her bare toes. Across the hall, where a fourth wall should have been, was a huge cloud of gray. Clouds, shifting back and forth without pattern.  _

_ Fisting Her robe in both hands, She resisted the urge to run. Not out of fear, but something else, hidden deep within the layers of Her being--something She couldn’t explain.  _

_ Beside Her, Raijin set one three-fingered hand on Her shoulder. Izuna leaned into it, feeling the desperation fade slightly. _

_ “It’s your first storm,” the older deity said gently. “You don’t have to make it too big.” _

_ Izuna stared at the pool of water, remembering the image that had come to Her the previous night--Nagisa, dead at the bottom of a smaller pool of water. White face bloated, dark hair floating in tangles like a rogue fisherman’s net. _

_ “Izuna.” Rajin’s giant mouth opened and closed a few times before His next words came. “You chose to be a goddess.”  _

_ “I know. Thank you, Uncle.” Stepping forward, She slid one foot, then the other into the pool.  _

_ Instead of sinking against Her skin the way it would in normal water, her robe seemed to grow even lighter. The waves crashed against Her knees--then hips--then waist--then shoulders. Raijin only smiled when it broke against Her chin. _

_ There was no salt on Her tongue as She moved deeper, no sting in Her eyes or pressure to breathe. Beneath the black, Izuna gasped silently as all the lands of the other world--the world of the non-divine--came into view.  _

_ Raising one hand, She swirled it in the water. Before Her eyes, ripples formed in the ocean by the non-divine's cliffs.  _

**_It doesn’t have to be big,_ ** _ came Her Uncle’s voice again.  _

**_Will they know it was me?_ ** _ She asked, lips creating bubbles that floated up and out and away.  _

_ He laughed.  _ **_You’re a goddess, Izuna._ **

**_Whoever you want to know, tell them._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Names: 
> 
> Okkoto (leader of boar yokai tribe) - named for the boar in Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke  
> Minako (InuKag daughter) - named for voice actress Minako Kotobuki  
> Ikue (second in command of boar yokai tribe) named for voice actress Ikue Ōtani  
> Hisako (Lady of the Sky Castle's soldier) - named for voice actress Hisako Kyoda


	4. Chapter Four

This part of the forest was less familiar to Kagura than that which was closer to the village. Overgrown trees and bushes locked out much of the sky; the chances of running into another creature would be awfully slim for the next mile or so. Gnarled roots criss-crossed the ground every few feet, making their trek painfully slow. 

But perhaps that was a good thing. It gave her more time to lay into the complicated, senseless man before her. 

“Did your mother’s records say that the strange woman was carrying a jar?” 

Sesshomaru debated whether to turn and face the sorceress if he answered her question; the venom in her voice was unmistakable, even though he knew (or perhaps simply hoped) it was mostly out of her own panic. 

In the end, he kept his eyes on the trees stretching before them. “Yes.” 

Kagura tossed the purple rind of a fruit into a bush with more force than was perhaps necessary. “And you didn’t think to just fucking say so? _ ”  _

“I thought that the situation was obvious.” A goddess’ involvement, highly possible. A jar, confirmed. The possibility that Rin was in danger again--that he’d failed her, again--still required more investigation. 

“Bullshit. You just didn’t want to admit that you might have fucked up.  _ Again _ .” Kagura briefly considered throwing her fan at the back of his head; the storm of emotions in her chest was so overwhelming, she didn’t notice the long, gnarled tree root in her path until she’d nearly tripped over it. 

Sesshomaru paused and turned his head. Kagura righted herself quickly and brushed past him. “You really need to figure some of your shit out, Sesshomaru.” 

“I don’t know what you mean.” Annoyance finally broke the careful apathy of his tone. Her anger was inappropriate for the situation; this was nothing like the time before, when she had been directly targeted by such a deity. Not that she had appreciated his involvement then, either. “If it was a third goddess, then she left the area shortly after she was sent to this realm. I have no responsibility to any creature outside of my territory.” 

“Your northern boundary stretches to the oceanside. To get there would have taken her weeks.” 

“What would you have expected of me? Chasing down an enemy I didn’t know existed?” 

“Your mother knew she existed, and it’s not even her territory, is it?” Kagura whirled around. A strong wind swept up on either side of her, flinging leaves and dirt into the air. “As soon as you suspected it, you should have told me. What if she and I had met in the valley while you were gone? If we’d fought, and I ended up back in one of those fucking jars, what then?” 

The memory told hold of her heart with cold, suffocating hands: no body, no voice, nothing except darkness. Endless darkness... 

“You wouldn’t have even known.” Crossing both arms, she forced herself to meet his eyes. Sesshomaru’s expression was strange--he was troubled at the question, as she’d expected him to be. But there was something else. Something that every bone in her body screamed not to put a name to, for what it had always brought with it. 

_ What have I done to bring him any disappointment?  _

“You have no reason to be concerned about such things,” he said finally, stepping closer. One claw moved to trace the outermost edge of Kagura’s sleeve. 

She wanted to lean into the touch. She wanted to go back home and sit amongst her treasures. She wanted to go anywhere, do anything, just because she felt like it and nothing existed that could stop her.

“Don’t try and comfort me. You’re no good at that kind of thing.” Twisting away, Kagura started walking again. As more roots knocked against her ankles or scraped against her toes, she refused to slow her pace. 

As they shared a destination, Sesshomaru could only follow. 

* * *

Even once her basket was full of the plants to make her poisons, Sango kept walking.

It was a bitter relief, to let the sea of dark green and earthy brown swallow her up. Only someone very desperate would dare to threaten her when they were this close to the village; especially while she was armed.    
Besides, she needed to think. 

_ He wants to wait a year. One will become two, two will become five. They’ll forget what they’ve learned. Other things will have taken up all their time.  _

With each step her thoughts grew heavier. Doubt dragged her shoulders down, the basket thudding against her thigh.  __

_ But would they’d be happier, not knowing what this work is like?  _

Her stomach and hips hurt, again. She gazed at the bushes lining the foot-trodden path, searching for any kind of pain-soothing plant. Kagome and Rin definitely would have some back at the village, but if she went to either of them, then there would be questions. 

Why did things have to be so complicated? The past few years had been so peaceful; new faces in a family line that she and Miroku had once thought were doomed to end with them. Kagome’s return. Steady, fulfilling work with Kohaku by her side. 

There had been a plan, everyone on the same page. But now, she felt like things were crumbling from inside out. 

_ Don’t be dramatic, Sango--you can't change what's happened, only what you do going forward.  
_

Bringing up Miroku’s past had been a low blow; she was over that, had long accepted it for what it was and rejoiced over the way he embraced fatherhood. If she was brutally honest with herself, it had been a poor way to communicate how much his point of view had insulted her. Sango knew she could do better. She  _ had  _ done better, in the years since they’d committed to each other. Just because holding a grudge was easy didn’t mean she couldn’t be realistic about what such things would cost her.

That was it, then. Sango resolved to give herself only one day more to feel hurt over the situation. And then, either tonight or tomorrow, she’d go back to talk it out with him. Together, they’d find some solution they could each live with. 

_ Things will be fine. I'll make everything fine.  
_

The cry of a bird nearby startled her into nearly dropping the basket. The path was gone, trees surrounding her on every side. How long had she been walking, stuck in her own thoughts? Thank goodness she had Hiraikotsu…

Instinct sent the hair on the back of her neck standing up. Something was wrong; her body knew it before her brain did, letting the basket fall to the ground as she shifted into a defense position.

A twig snapped to her left, and then a figure stepped out of the brush. It took a second for her to recognize them; once the name and face matched together in her brain, Sango’s mouth fell open with surprise.  


“What are you--” 

That was as far as she got before a weapon flashed in her face. Then Sango was lost in the adrenaline of the fight.

* * *

“Master Jaken!” 

The imp shrieked, nearly falling into the lake; he had been scrutinizing the surface intently, wondering how to successfully address the goddesses now that they no longer had humanoid forms. A small but steady hand gripped the back of his robe, pulling him safely back onto land. 

“Be more careful, stupid!” He snapped in a high voice.

“You’re the one who almost fell, Master Jaken,” Rin replied. Her other hand, the one that wasn’t clinging to him, was wrapped around a wide handle-less basket. Coupled with her only-a-few-months-from-fourteen face and rolled up sleeves, she looked the perfect picture of a busy village girl. 

Craning his neck to glare at her smiling face, Jaken had to allow himself a bit of relief. In the past nine months, she’d gotten another inch and a half taller, but not any skinnier--that meant she was eating well. Her eyes were clear and bright, and there was no hollowness in her cheeks--all signs of being in good spirits.  _ Lord Sesshomaru will be so pleased!  _

“I saw Ah-Un in the sky and had to come say hi. What are you both doing here?” Rin balanced the basket on one hip. Peering inside, Jaken could see a collection of blood-stained clothes and reared back with a grimace. Humans could be so disgusting! “Is Lord Sesshomaru with you?” 

“Indeed! We were on the way to your village, when I was given the critical task of interrogating the storm goddesses Akari and Nagisa!” He waved one claw menacingly over the dark flood of water before him. 

“Interrogate them?” Rin crouched down to stare at the water. “What do you think they’ve done?” 

Jaken leaned closer and hissed out of the side of his mouth, “We believe that they, or a goddess of the same breeding, may have allied with the villainous boar yokai, Okkoto! All to cause the great Lord Sesshomaru endless trouble!” 

“Okkoto…” Rin tapped her chin a few times before shrugging apologetically. “Sorry, I don’t know anything about him. But I could ask Akari and Nagisa for you, if you like.” 

Jaken’s forehead wrinkled considerably from the force of his frown. “Don’t be foolish, Rin. After everything these awful creatures put you through this past summer, Lord Sesshomaru would rip  _ this _ head from _ these  _ shoulders if I forced your involvement!” 

Rin laughed, setting the basket onto the ground. “You wouldn’t be forcing me. They talk to me all the time.” 

Oh, that was not good at all. Jaken wondered how Lord Sesshomaru could possibly punish the goddesses for such manipulations in their current watery state. Before such a mental image could finish forming, he was distracted by Rin wading straight into the lake. “Eek! Rin, get out of there!” 

“It’s okay, Master Jaken.” Waving one hand over her shoulder, Rin stopped when the water hit her knees. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting the kappa’s frenzied orders fade away.  


_ Rin… _

__ “Hello, Akari.” 

_ Thank you for the offerings you brought to the altar yesterday.  _

__ “You’re very welcome. Um, is it okay if I ask you about…” Her forehead wrinkled, and she called out over her shoulder. “What was the guy’s name?” 

“Stop that!” Lord Sesshomaru was going to be livid; Jaken’s chest was already tight, thinking how he was going to explain. What did RIn think she was doing, communicating with the goddesses like they were close friends? It was a miracle that the human villagers hadn’t locked her up in a hut for crazies! 

Rin sighed, turning to face Jaken with her hands on her hips. “I know it seems strange, but it’s really okay. They don’t tell me anything scary, and I’m not hiding things from Inuyasha or any of the others. And if Lord Sesshomaru is in trouble, then I want to help.” A little smile found it’s way onto her face. “You’ll probably get better answers if I ask them, anyway.” 

“How can you talk to them at all?” Jaken shrieked. “Their altar’s all the way back there!” 

Rin shrugged. “I just can.” 

Like that was going to be a satisfactory answer to his master. And who would be blamed for the situation, even though it was out of his control entirely? Him, Jaken, the ever-suffering servant. 

Oh, he could hear that damn witch’s mocking laughter now...

* * *

“ _ You  _ tell me who you are,” Inuyasha snapped, pointing to the young man he had just dragged off of the top of the village wall, “and  _ you  _ tell me why no one fucking noticed he was here until he’d already scaled that thing!” His other claw jabbed at Rikichi’s nose. 

“Yeah, start talking!” Shippo puffed-up with a glare that matched his hanyou friend. Up close, the intruder didn’t look as old as he’d first thought--seventeen, maybe eighteen. Tight lines of lean muscle on his arms showed how he’d managed to scale the wall; long, unkempt locks of dark hair hung over a pair of violet eyes.  


He didn’t look like much of a threat. But Shippo was old enough to know better than to trust random humans just because they appeared helpless. And okay, maybe he'd exaggerated a little bit when telling Inuyasha, but how else was he supposed to get the hanyou's attention nowadays?  


“I didn’t know what else to do,” the stranger gasped, out of breath. One arm was held close to his chest. “I couldn’t see how to get in--” 

“I left my patrol shift half an hour ago,” Rikichi interrupted, shoving the hanyou’s arm away from his face. The villager had seen Inuyasha in too many foolish positions over the years to truly fear him, though the dark circles under his eyes certainly earned a lighter tone--a sleep-deprived new father was not a good person to start a fight with. “I don’t know who was supposed to replace me, but they didn’t show.” 

“Please, where’s your taijiya?” The young man grabbed at Inuyasha’s sleeve, only to have the hanyou dodge away with impressive speed. He turned to Shippo then, shaking with desperation. “I need to see a taijiya.” 

“Calm down or else I’ll hafta deck ya!” Inuyasha bared his teeth to show he meant business before waving at Rikichi again. “Sango ain’t here. Go get Kohaku.” 

There was no need; the taijiya and his companion, Kilala, were already headed for them. The stranger slumped with relief, while Rikichi took the opportunity to make himself scarce. 

“Shinjiro?” Disbelief pitched Kohaku’s tone, making Inuyasha almost forget that he’d just celebrated an eighteenth birthday. “What are you doing here?” 

Shippo’s adrenaline vanished. “You know him?”

Kohaku nodded. “He’s from one of the fishing towns that Sango and I had our last job in. I stayed in his house.” 

Kilala moved forward, head bent. Shinjiro reached out to pet her, shoulders sagging in relief. Kohaku’s eyes darted between Inuyasha and Shippo for a moment before clearing his throat. “Is it rat yokai again? Do you need us to come back? ” 

Shinjiro shook his head, then nodded. Inuyasha elbowed Shippo and circled one claw around his temple. 

“He’s not crazy,” Kohaku protested. Kilala growled in agreement. “Just shaken up.”

“I’m sorry.” Shinjiro pressed both hands to his eyes. “It’s just...everything’s going wrong, lately.” 

“It’s going to be alright. Just tell us what you need.” 

Under his breath, Shippo muttered, “Then maybe learn how to knock…” 

Both palms pressed harder against the boy’s eyes before pulling away; his cheeks glinted with wetness. “It’s worse than the rats this time. Our rice crops have all gone bad. The ones in the town across the river, too.” 

“Did a storm--”

“It’s not the weather,” Shinjiro wailed, “it’s our rice goddess. She’s disappeared. And…” Sniffling, he buried his face in Kilala’s neck fur. “And I think it’s my fault.” 


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Violence

“Damn woman!”

The man’s voice flattened into a pained grunt as Sango elbowed him in the gut, right above where a wide black belt cut into the gray of his robes. One hand tugged sharply on the back of her collar, the other smashing against her mouth with a force that sent stars sparking behind her eyelids.

“Just hold still--” 

She’d tripped on the basket like an _amateur,_ and Hiraikotsu had been kicked free from her grasp. But if this man thought she was going to just lay down and accept whatever he had planned for her, then he was dumber than he looked. 

Sango’s heel slammed down on the bones of his left foot, earning another exclamation of pain; but even as he crumpled, his grip on her remained tight. Fingers pressed into her mouth; with a flash of alarm, Sango realized she was being fed something. 

_Just like the salamander egg, all those years ago-_ -in a panic she bit down, the gnash of teeth against flesh pitching the man’s voice skyward. 

Her attacker yanked his hand free, tears of fury leaking from his eyes. Sango spat out some kind of red pulp along with threads of skin, glaring at him. 

“Bitch…” 

His uninjured fingers left her collar to form a fist that collided roughly with the side of her head. It was his second mistake; the first being his choice to drop his weapon in order to try and restrain her. The sword’s blade was short and wide, perfect for close-quarters combat. All sense must have left his mind, to let it fall within her reach. 

Sango reared back, letting the force of the next hit throw her back to the ground. As her attacker wound up again, her palm found the wooden hilt. Her foot twisted to catch his ankle, sending him pitching forward to meet the blade of his own weapon. 

His eyes widened, face clouding with an all-too familiar pallor. Both hands scrabbled at the place where metal met the rapidly-soaking gray of his shirt. Refusing to release her hold until he stopped moving, Sango yelled, “Why are you doing this?” 

“He--he said--” The rest of his words were only gurgles.

“I _helped_ you.” Her voice broke. “Why hurt me now?” 

Again, he couldn’t answer. Loud noises--something else crashing through the woods, heading her way--made it moot, anyway. 

Panting, Sango shoved the man away from her. His body crumpled in on itself and rolled under a bush. The noise became louder--something was close. She scrambled backwards, swiping at her mouth with the back of her arm. The assault on her head and still-pumping adrenaline had blurred her vision, her mouth felt sore-- _no crying now, Sango, not yet._

Just as she dragged Hiraikotsu into her lap, four smudges of brown broke through the foliage. 

“What the hell is _that_ ?” One of the yokai-- _weak grip on that spear, poor offensive stance_ \--gaped at her. Stumbling to her feet, Sango brandished her weapon with a shout. 

“Why don’t you come and find out?” 

* * *

“You’re being ridiculous.” 

Kagura gave a short laugh. “Am I?” 

“It’s fine that you are angry about the existence of another jar.” He could hardly focus, thanks to the scent of anxiety coming off Kagura in waves and the fainter smell of blood from the scratches that now covered each of her feet, toe-to-ankle. She wasn’t human--she had to be _trying_ in order to cause them, of all stupid things. “But by refusing to slow down, you risk injuring yourself.” 

“Aren’t we in a hurry?” He was the one who’d chosen to have them walk. And though she didn’t exactly enjoy the roots and rocks and thorns all digging into her bare feet, at least the twinges of pain kept her mind from breaking apart into a sea of what-ifs. 

The business with the goddesses was supposed to have been put to bed months ago. The nightmares of Naraku had stopped; she didn’t need anything to replace them. And if it was obvious that he was worried--seeking out his mother’s guidance, visiting a weapon-smith, waking in the middle of the night with his hand on his sword--well, how could he expect her not to show it? 

“Kagura.” The growl in his voice could freeze many creatures in their tracks. “Stop.” 

“Contradictory as always.” With a sigh, the wind witch gave in. She pressed her back against a huge, wood-worn tree springing out of the ground to her right. Here came the lecture. At least Jaken wouldn’t be here to witness it; she wondered how he was getting on in his unenviable task... 

An arm pressed into the bark on either side of her. White and gold replaced forest green and grey as he filled the space before her. Kagura tried to hold tight to her frustration, even as its importance waned in favor of the increased pounding of her heart. 

They’d been in this position before--not in these woods, but the ones by his fortress. The first time she’d been invited back with him after things with Rin had been settled. Everything in combination--an audience of moon and stars, some of her best teasing quips to date, a new place to explore--had put Kagura in in a mischievous mood. 

She’d claimed that her power could rustle the leaves of every tree within a hundred yards. He’d pressed her up against one in particular, and asked her to prove it. 

“You arranged for us to travel the rest of the way alone,” she muttered, eyes tracing the line of his jaw. So close that she would only have to lean forward to press her lips to it... "Is there something you have to ask me?” 

He leaned in even closer. “Do you think that you only punish yourself when you do such things?” 

Of course she hadn’t thought about that; the only goal was to remind herself she could choose pain, could be in control of it. But the words made Kagura’s frustration melt away, like ice in a warm rain. 

_There was a time when my life mattered little to a Lord like you. Now, you can hardly stand to have me upset with you._

She settled one palm against his side, just a few inches from Tensaiga’s hilt. “Once we reach the village, how long will we be staying?”

“That depends on the information that Jaken and I receive.” 

Her fingers danced across the metal of his armor. The touch was too light for him to actually feel it, but it would serve as a sign that she’d calmed down. “If we end up staying the night, then have Jaken bring the cup. I want to practice.” 

Sesshomaru’s thoughts sank into debate. Thus far, they had only performed such trials within the walls of his castle--besides Jaken, none of his servants or soldiers knew. With the entitled nosiness exhibited by every creature within his half-brother’s village, it would be difficult to maintain the same discretion. 

If Mother had been concerned over it, who knew how someone like Inuyasha would react. 

“I will consider it.” 

Kagura smirked, hiding her hopefulness with an air of self-assurance. Her fingers trailed upwards, searching for the place metal and fabric turned into skin. “You didn’t answer my question, by the way. Why send Jaken and Ah-Un--” 

The words died in her throat at the same moment that he reared backwards; a strong scent of blood flooded both their senses, unmistakable in its sharpness. 

“What kind of creature is it?” Kagura unfolded her fan with the roll of a wrist. 

“Boar.” Sesshomaru’s demonic energy flared, his eyes tinting red. “And human, as well.” 

Kagura gave him a wry smile. “So perhaps we will get to have some fun.” 

* * *

_Kohaku decided he wouldn’t have called the place a town, if such things had been his choice. It amounted to a handful of one-story buildings, scattered along the edge of the river like marbles thrown from a toddler’s hand; more people than it seemed could be sheltered milled about between them, carrying baskets of salted fish or armfuls of unmilled rice. As he, Kilala, and Sango followed their guide past a few of the buildings, he saw piles of green laid out on the roof to dry._

_“We’ve had guards standing by the rice paddies day and night,” their guide said. His voice was a jagged stone not yet smoothed by river-water; it made Kohaku’s ears hurt to hear it. “But they just keep coming…”_

_“Rat yokai move in colonies,” Sango replied, hefting Hiraikotsu higher over her shoulder. “Once they’ve found what they believe is a decent food source, the whole flood invades.”_

_“Have you ever had this problem before?” Kohaku dodged around a group of small children, chasing one another while hissing like snakes. Behind him, Kilala’s eyes followed the baskets of fish with obvious longing, and Kohaku clicked his tongue at her to stay focused._

_“Not since you’ve been alive.” The man frowned at him, and the taijiya felt a rush of self-conscious heat behind his ears._

_What if he’d been here before, and just didn’t remember? What if they’d heard of Naraku’s human servant, and recognized it as him? Would they refuse to accept his and Sango’s help?_

_“I apologize for not mentioning this sooner.” Coming to an abrupt stop, the man dipped his head. “But I have heard that the town across the water has been having the same problems as well.”_

_“There’s another town over there?” Sango turned to gaze over the river. She could make out a few thin wisps of smoke rising above the trees on the opposite shore, and the glossy sheen of fishing nets lining that side of the water’s edge._

_“I was asked if I could send one of you to their aid, as well. Both of you will be paid extra for the trouble.” Despite his words, he only addressed the older slayer, his shoulders hunched towards his ears._

_“How would we even get over there?”_

_“There is a bridge past the rice paddies on the southern side of the village.” Dark eyes flicked back and forth between the two siblings. “We need all of the yokai in this area dead, if either of our crops will survive this year.”_

_“Hm.” Sango kept staring across the river, face softening. Only when the man cleared his throat did she turn back. “Uh, do you think it’s doable, Kohaku?”_

_Relieved that, as always, she held his judgment in esteem, he gave her a nod._

_“All right.” Confidence brightened her smile. “Kilala and Kohaku will stay here, and I will go to the next village.”_

_The man’s shoulders dropped in abject relief, and he smoothed his hand over the front of his gray robes. “Excellent. I will take you across and introduce you to their head fisherman.” Without even looking in Kohaku’s direction, he added, “My nephew will take you to our storeroom to assess some of the damage.”_

_As they departed, Kohaku felt a bit disappointed that he and Sango had been separated. Even though the job would be easy enough without her, he much preferred to work with her by his side. Especially with how talkative she’d been on their trek--a bright, nervous energy whenever she brought up how soon the girls would start training, discussing which of their father’s tactics had worked best for preparing them._

_There’d been something else, too--a day-dreaminess to her, which he’d only noticed after the second time of asking a question and receiving a strange answer. When he’d asked what was on her mind, Sango had simply smiled._

_He’d been startled out of his thoughts by a hand waving in his face. Then Kohaku hadn’t been able to focus on anything except the violet eyes appraising him like he was made of gold._

_“Hi. I’m Shinjiro.”_

* * *

“I’m really sorry.” Leaning against the side of the house, Shinjiro rubbed at both his eyes. “Your friends probably think I’m terrible, climbing the wall like that.”

“You were scared.” Kohaku stood nearby, hands cradling a cup of tea. He tried to match the soothing voice Sango used on her children whenever they had nightmares. “I’m sorry no one was on hand to let you in.” 

He held the cup out; Shinjiro took it reverently, as though it was fine glass instead of cheap clay. Glancing around, he muttered, “Is this your house?”

“My sister’s. Her husband’s a monk; when he comes back, you should tell him what you told me.” 

A bitter smile crossed the young man’s face. “You mean about how I ruined everything?” 

“You--”

“Why do you live in a village with yokai if you’re a taijiya?” Shinjiro interrupted. He pressed the cup to his chest, letting the warmth seep in. “Like the man with the big sword?” 

“We don’t hunt all yokai. Just the kind that will go out of their way to hurt humans.”

“There are ones that don’t?”

Kohaku smiled and nodded. “The man you saw is called Inuyasha, a hanyou. His wife is a human priestess. I have other friends who are yokai, too. Shippo the kitsune, a wind sorceress--” 

“And they’re nice to you?” Shinjiro’s jaw slackened with his surprise. “They _like_ you?” 

Feeling his face heat up at the intensity of the other young man’s stare, Kohaku twisted both hands together. “I think so.” 

“Kohaku!” 

He saw Miroku running towards him, and immediately put another step between him and Shinjiro. If the other boy noticed, he didn’t react to it. 

“What’s going on? Who is this?” Putting both hands on his hips, Miroku fixed the unfamiliar boy with a cautious look. Despite the fact that Kohaku knew him, the monk felt that Inuyasha’s suspicion was for once well-earned; normal people didn’t scale village walls.

“He’s from a fishing town. We recently killed a bunch of rat yokai there, but now all the crops have gone bad--” 

“Because I prayed to our rice goddess,” Shinjiro interrupted, shoving the tea back into Kohaku’s hands without having taken a single sip. “I asked her to sacrifice herself to Orochi.” 

“Orochi?” Miroku’s head reared back. "An eight-tailed serpent?” 

Shinjiro nodded. “But now she’s gone, and they both must be really mad because now the whole village is cursed. He must have sent the rats, and she killed our crops.” 

“Why would you ask a goddess to sacrifice herself?” Miroku crossed both arms over his chest. If he held judgment for the young man’s choice, it was carefully hidden beneath a stony expression that would have made Lord Sesshomaru proud. “That’s quite a bold request.” 

“It’s the only way to keep Orochi from taking one of the village women instead,” Shinjiro said. Tears gathered in his eyes, and he blinked hard to keep them from falling. “I know it’s terrible, but that’s how it’s always been.” 

“And what does Orochi do with the women?” 

Shinjiro shook his head. “I don’t know. They’re just never seen again.” After a pause, he added desperately, “The gods are supposed to protect us, aren’t they?” 

“Have you considered that the rice goddess _did_ sacrifice herself to Orochi, and now the crops are ruined because she is dead?” A sliver of anger wormed its way out of the monk’s throat, and Shinjiro’s face twisted like he’d been stabbed by it. 

“Her mother and father are gods too, they’re still--” 

“What mother and father would care for anyone who demands they give up their child?” Miroku turned to Kohaku. “Have you mentioned this to Lady Kagome yet?” 

He shook his head. “No, not yet--”

“Then don’t. We will not be doing anything else in this situation.” More anger bled into his voice, as his neutral expression completely fell away. “People come to us because they need help, not to escape punishment for the harm they’ve caused others.” 

“Miroku!” As the monk started to walk away at a brisk pace, Kohaku let the tea cup fall from his hands. “Wait here, Shinjiro-- _Miroku!_ ” 

* * *

“Oh, there she is.”

Several yards from where Sesshomaru crouched to inspect several boar corpses, Kagura could spy a streak of green and pink ducking under a branch. It was indeed Sango--blood-stained, one leg bent at a painful-looking angle--using Hiraikotsu as a crutch to hobble through the overgrowth.

“Yo!” 

The taijiya’s hand flew to her side as she whirled around. Sesshomaru ticked an eyebrow, and she relaxed with a rough exhale of breath. 

“Oh, it’s you.” Sango leaned heavily on her weapon as she came to a stop. After a moment, she bobbed her head in some kind of bow. Kagura noted the streak of blood stretching from the corner of her mouth. 

_Four boar yokai dead, all without the majority of her weapons--does she know how impressive that is?_

“Seems like you’ve had quite a day.” 

Sango’s smile was bitter. “You could say that.”

Sesshomaru tapped the small of Kagura’s back, a signal that he was getting restless. Electing to ignore him, she let cold red eyes meet exhausted brown ones. 

“We’re heading to the village on some private business. Perhaps you would like to come with us?” 

Only a flicker of old suspicion (probably more habit than anything) lit in the taijiya’s eye before she nodded. “Just a second, though.”

Sesshomaru growled deep in his chest as Sango crouched down to the grass, but did not make a move to disappear on his own. Leaving one of his half-brother’s most respected comrades alone and injured in the woods would likely not be the best way to get the cooperation he would need.

With businesslike nonchalance, Sango dragged another body out from the shadow of a bush--this one human. The entire left side of the man’s face was swollen, and the end of a broadsword protruded from his chest. Three fingers on his right hand were bisected with red slashes; Kagura looked at the blood by Sango’s mouth with new appreciation. 

With a shaking hand, Sango pressed a hand to the front of his robes. 

At that moment, Sesshomaru spoke up. “He’s dead.” 

“I know that. He had something…never mind.” When Sango looked up, her eyes were cloudy. Brushing her bangs out of her eyes left a smudge of copper-red on her brow. “Let’s go.” 

“Now, you’re clearly in a lot of pain.” Waving her fan in her frustrated companion’s direction, Kagura added, “I’m sure Sesshomaru wouldn’t mind carrying you.” 

Sango opened her mouth to protest, but at that moment her bleeding leg shifted, causing both eyes to roll back in her head. Inelegantly, she crumbled into the grass before the two demons. After a beat, Kagura turned to Sesshomaru. 

“Well?”

With a bored sigh, he hefted the unconscious woman up in his arms. Looking more amused than she had any right to be, Kagura followed him into the trees. 

* * *

“Taichi!” Gripping his tusks in each hand, Okkoto stomped to the end of the line of boar yokai; each of his soldiers averted their gaze as he passed. Finally he reached his son, who crouched close to the ground wrapping a strip of cloth around his arm. “What happened?! I thought you were going to meet us at the human village!” 

Voice shaking, the young boar yokai muttered, “We didn’t make it, okay? Things just got out of hand.”

“It’s been hours, Taichi!” Fury and fear raced through the tribe leader’s blood. Oh, how he wanted a good, solid spine to snap in half... 

“One of the guys said he glimpsed some human going the opposite way from us and--well.” Taichi paused to yank the end of the cloth with his teeth. “It was _their_ idea to chase him.” 

“You missed seeing your dad in action,” Ikue said, coming up beside her leader. Her eyes flit over the young boar, noting his injuries. “You should have seen it. The humans were in such a panic; as soon as he started talking they immediately gave in to his requests--” 

“ _Quiet_.” Swinging his arm down in front of Ikue’s face in a cutting motion, Okkoto snapped at his son, “What did the human look like?” 

Taichi shrugged, but the stammer in his voice gave away how clear the tension in the situation was to even him. “Tall, drab outfit. And he was fast, we almost lost him a couple of times. He had a sword and lunch with him.” 

“Lunch?” Ikue repeated, receiving a harsh snarl from her leader. “Oh, tell me you don’t mean--”

“Did he have an apple?” 

“Yeah, why?” Taichi looked back and forth between the older yokai. Okkoto turned away to land a punch solidly against the shoulder of the nearest soldier, who fell over with a shriek. 

“The apple was given to us by our goddess,” Ikue explained, voice strained from the effort it took not to start screaming. “Any sacrifice to her must ingest it. We told the humans that they had a day to choose which of their people it would be. But if one of them ran off with it--” 

“We’ll burn their whole village down!” Okkoto roared, swinging at the same soldier (who was lucky enough to dodge this time.) 

“Dad, you don’t have to freak out.” Grimacing from how the movement pulled on his wound, Taichi yanked a round fruit from his chest pocket. Ikue exhaled with visible relief as he held it up to the light. “I got it back.” 

“You...did?” Okkoto froze, fist still outstretched.

“Well, yeah. After the other human stabbed the guy, I waited in the bushes so I could lift it off his body.” Leaning over, he handed the apple to his father. “Too bad the others weren’t that smart. Just rushed in and got totally _slaughtered_ for it _._ ” 

Okkoto stood with the fruit in his hand. Ikue took a few steps back, halfheartedly mimicking deep breaths, as the yokai leader’s face darkened to pink, then scarlet.

“ _Why,_ ” he shouted, sending birds erupting from nearby trees, “ _is there a piece out of it?!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter (this one was getting too long):  
> Rin and Jaken gossip, Kagome finally gets to do something not-baby-related, and Kagura gets to have her way.


	6. Chapter Six

Inuyasha watched his wife race around the room incredulously. How could she move so fast on so little sleep? 

“Hey, Kagome,” Shippo said, trying to sound nicer than Inuyasha had when he’d made the same suggestion a few moments ago and been soundly ignored, “maybe you should--”

“Nope. _ ”  _ Kagome hefted an overflowing basket of healing supplies up to brace against her hips with a grunt. Pushing past Inuyasha and Shippo, she headed for the inn’s front door at a brisk pace. “No one else is touching Sango except me.”

“But Kaede’s got it covered already!” Inuyasha tried to sound more commanding and less whiny; from the eye roll that Kagome sent in his direction, he’d failed miserably. “And I need to go ask Sesshomaru what the fuck he came here for!” 

“Shippo can watch the baby. He can show her his tricks.” 

“What? _ ”  _ The kitsune shrieked. “But that’s  _ boring!  _ And my tricks are too complicated for a baby to understand, anyway.”

“Look, Kagome. I know Sango looks bad, but--”

The basket fell to the ground with a thump. Kagome whirled around, one finger pointed accusingly at the two yokai.

“Don’t say she’s fine!” The volume of her voice rose as she continued, despite both Inuyasha and Shippo waving their hands at her in surrender. “Sango’s dug herself out of her own grave before! Imagine how exhausted she must be to pass out after a brawl like that--not to mention that anyone with a brain would notice she hasn’t been herself lately! And she’s my best friend and she’s hurt, so I’m going!” 

Scooping the basket up with enough force that she almost tripped, the priestess marched out the inn’s door without looking back. 

“Geez. What’s her problem…” Shippo muttered. 

“She ain’t wrong, though.” Inuyasha sighed, crossing both arms over his chest. “A few boars and one dumb human should’ve been easy enough for Sango, especially with Hiraikotsu.”

“What are boar yokai doing this close to the village, anyway, Inuyasha? Maybe we should go look for clues.” The kitsune’s determined mood was doused quickly by the hanyou’s shaking head. 

“I hafta ask Sesshomaru what he wants first. Last thing I need is that bastard sniffin’ around for longer than necessary. Also, I’d bet that we don’t have to even leave the village to get all the answers we need.” 

Shippo scratched his head. “What do you mean?” 

“Sango just so happens to get attacked by a bunch of dummies at the same time we’re all distracted by a random kid climbin’ the village wall?” Inuyasha snorted. “That’s some fucking coincidence…” 

* * *

  
  


“Were those all the questions you had, Master Jaken?”

Squinting at the scrap of paper, Jaken mouthed something to himself before calling out, “Yes! Now get back up on the shore, Rin, before something happens to you!” 

Chuckling, the girl waded back. Bits of grass stuck to her wet feet as she stumbled out of the lake, making her feel itchy. “Back to the village, then?”

“Yes. Lord Sesshomaru will be very eager to hear this.”  _ And to see that Rin’s doing well,  _ he thought to himself.  _ Outside of her chats with the lake goddesses, of course… _

“How is Lord Sesshomaru? He hasn’t visited in so long.” Nudging her elbow against Jaken’s shoulder, Rin’s voice dropped to a secretive volume. “Have he and Lady Kagura been busy spending time together?” 

“Hardly!” Jaken let loose a short laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. “Lord Sesshomaru has been occupied by matters of great importance! The dangerous and volatile leader of a glory-hungry boar tribe, Okkoto, has waged many battles across the Western Lands. Only our wise and just Lord Sesshomaru has stopped him--” 

“But he hasn’t stopped him,” Rin pointed out. “Isn’t that why you’re here?” 

“No one likes a rude little girl who interrupts!”

Rolling her eyes, Rin shifted her basket to her other hip, not-so-accidentally bumping the kappa out-of-step. “Lady Kagura’s been living at his fortress, right?” 

Jaken’s eyes bugged. “How would you know that?” 

“Well, where else would she go? Kohaku went to her hut in the forest and said it was empty.” Batting her lashes, she begged, “Come on, it isn’t like he’ll tell me anything!” 

“Maybe that’s because there’s nothing of interest to tell! Kagura is exactly the same as she has always been--smug, senseless, and a hoarder to boot. If you could see the random trash in her room--well,  _ you  _ would probably find it quite pretty.” He sniffed. “Humans are so easily pleased…” 

“Are they going to get married?” Rin had never seen a yokai wedding before; how different could it be from the ones she’d attended in the village? Those couples had looked very in love, all wrapped up in one another; she couldn’t imagine her Lord or Kagura behaving in such a way. 

Jaken took a moment to mourn the years that such a question shaved off of his life before muttering darkly, “Despite the attachment he has to her, such a thing would be to his detriment.” 

“Master Jaken! I know you don’t like her, but that’s a mean thing to say.” Rin stopped to glare at him, eyes bright with shock at the injustice. “And if they love each other, that’s all that matters.”

“Love!” Jaken choked, waving a claw at her as though he could yank the word from the air and toss it into the lake. “Life is much more complicated than that! Lord Sesshomaru has the entire Western Lands to think about!  _ Love-- _ oh, Rin, if you weren’t so tall I would knock you about your head for saying such stupid things!” 

“I’m not the one saying stupid things,” she snapped, face reddening a bit. “You’re just being bitter because no one’s ever loved you! _ ”  _

“Ugh!” Whirling around, he stomped up the hill, screeching, “I am not saying another word to you until we reach the village!”

Heaving an annoyed sigh, Rin headed after him. Sure, she felt a bit bad about saying that, but--Lord Sesshomaru deserved to be just as happy as anyone else. Who cared that he had a title? 

And love wasn’t stupid. Love had brought all of her friends and family together, it had brought Kagome back to the Feudal Era. It had saved Rin’s life, over and over again. And if Kagura and Lord Sesshomaru loved each other, then they should be together. 

That seemed pretty simple to her. 

* * *

Kohaku’s stomach lurched as he pushed open the door to Kaede’s hut, an acidic burn flooding the back of his throat. He expected to see Rin crouching over his sister’s body, ponytail bobbing and forth as she worked; or the old priestess herself, wrinkled hands stained with all manner of powders, herbs, and fruits. Instead, Kagome’s soft smile greeted him as he came in. 

“She’s waking up a little bit.” She turned back to the basket she was rummaging through. Still, the calm in the priestess’ tone was a relief; it made him want to throw his arms around her, like he was a small boy again. 

Sango didn’t look as bad as he’d expected, though that was perhaps because most of her was covered with a blanket and Kilala’s tail. Nausea and confusion danced in his stomach as he noted the bruising around her bottom lip and one side of her head. Black eyelashes fluttered against pale-as-bone cheeks as she mumbled something. One of her hands was stretched out of the blanket, held between both of Miroku’s palms. Kohaku untucked the edge of the blanket so he could take the other one. 

“Do you know what happened, Kagome?” The monk asked, squeezing his wife’s hand tight. Kilala nosed against her mistress’ thigh on the same side. “Or what did this?” 

“Several boar yokai and one human were found with her. Kagura said they didn’t see how it happened, though--who attacked first, if she was trying to help the man or he was trying to help her. We’ll just have to ask Sango when she’s fully awake.” 

Kohaku looked up sharply. “Kagura’s here?” 

“She came along with Sesshomaru.” The little wink Kagome gave him over her shoulder felt like a douse of medicine. Things had to be alright, then, if she could be so casual. 

“Has she been drugged? Is that why she lost consciousness?” Miroku couldn’t decide if he was imagining whether she was squeezing his hand back or not. Kagome came to sit beside him, holding a handful of clean bandages. At the gentle touch of the priestess’ elbow against his ribs, Miroku let Sango’s hand slide free. Kagome then pushed her sleeve up to check for injuries.

“I don’t know yet. Could also have been the head injury. Or even that she just exhausted herself.” 

“She’s been working so hard,” Kohaku said, trying to keep the guilty tremble out of his voice. “She walked back without us after the mission in the fishing village, which must have taken most of the night, but then the next morning she was training all the same.” 

“Well, now she’ll have to rest whether or not she wants it.” Kagome leaned over Sango to push up her other sleeve. The taijiya shifted, eyes still closed, as the priestess turned her arm over. At Kilala’s gentle purr, she settled. 

Brushing her fingertips against a small bruise on her friend’s arm, Kagome sighed, “What a busy morning…” 

Miroku locked eyes with Kohaku. They’d received the news just as the younger man had caught up with him again, and the monk's frustration from earlier hadn’t faded in the slightest. In fact, it only felt worse, with the worry that he now held. 

Kohaku had raced back to the house to tell Shinjiro to stay put for a bit longer. In his heart, Miroku felt such a thing was selfish, or at least overly considerate, in a manner that an emergency like this was supposed to excuse them from. Still, he knew what the decision was rooted in.  He’d been around long enough--of course he recognized the flush in his brother in law’s cheeks, even only watching him with Shinjiro for a few moments. 

He was also quite familiar with the reality that having affection for a person didn’t mean they were worthy of it. 

Still, the rest of that discussion would have to wait. Not that it was the only one he’d have to have. Because how could Sango protest now against his worries for their daughters? Yes, she would be alright in the end, but it still had  _ happened _ .  And she hadn’t even been on a job, or traveling, or putting herself in a risky position for attack. She’d done nothing wrong, and yet someone had wronged her... 

Kagome cleared her throat as she sat back on her heels. Though he was usually great at hiding it, Miroku’s stress was so obvious now that she could practically feel it tickling the air on either side of her. She badly needed an excuse to make him leave, just until he could pull himself together--if only her brain wasn’t so fried from sleepless nights! 

A storm of rapping on the door made everyone in the room jump--even Sango twitched from her spot on the mat. Kohaku stammered, “That’ll be the kids. Should I go?” 

Miroku stood, straightening his robes. “No, I’ll get them.” 

Kagome covered her sigh of relief with a feigned yawn. As the rapping continued, she said, “I don’t think they should come in quite yet. When she wakes up, we’ll be asking her questions that will take up a lot of energy. Even though I’m sure Inuyasha’s already hard at work investigating…” 

“I’ll figure out something to tell them.” He reached out to press a hand to her shoulder. “Thank you, Kagome. I know she’ll be okay with you.” 

She let her hand rest over his solidly, hoping the weight of it would ground him . “Of course.” 

Kohaku waited until his brother in law had disappeared before asking in a quiet voice, “Will she really be okay?” 

“Of course. She’s survived much worse.” Guilt gripped her as soon as the words left her mouth, knowing the "worse" they were both thinking of was the same thing: a star-shaped scar that dug into the skin stretched across Sango’s spine, made by her own brother’s kusarigama. “I just wish we knew more.”

“Did Kagura or Sesshomaru say anything else about the human man that was with them?” It would be just like his sister to throw herself into helping a random stranger. Too bad that the man had died. He wondered if she knew, or if someone would have to tell her.  


“Well, don’t say anything to anyone yet because this is just a theory, but…” Kagome bit her lip. “Sango’s injuries look like the ones she gets when she fights hand-to-hand with someone. And from the absence of, um, _goring,_ I’d say it wasn’t with a boar yokai.”

“You think the man attacked her?” The growl that Kilala gave at that echoed the anger in his chest. Why would anyone want to hurt Sango? She was his sister, the bravest and most caring person he’d ever known. 

“If I'm right and he did, then it didn’t go too well. Kagura said he had some sort of blade stabbed through him.” She pantomimed punching her own chest, complete with a dramatic sound effect. “Like a sword, but kind of short and wide. Apparently she asked Sesshomaru if they could go back to collect it, but he just kind of ignored her…” 

“She likes to collect things,” Kohaku mused, thoughts falling away into memory.  _ A short and wide sword.. _ . “Kagome, is there anything I can do for my sister?” 

“Well...I’m sure she’d like to have something nice to eat when she wakes up. Why don’t you go see what kind of treat you can scrounge up?”

He nodded. That would be easy enough; there were some dried loquats back at the house, hidden where Baby Mushin with his raging sweet tooth couldn’t find them. 

Since Shinjiro would still be waiting there, he could kill two birds with one stone. 

* * *

Kagura sighed loudly in boredom. Out of the corner of her eye, Sesshomaru couldn’t disagree; they’d been waiting for quite a while. Not that his half-brother felt any urgency, as he was currently engaged in a rather loud discussion with the kitsune out in the hall.

“ I’m more than just a babysitter, you know--”

“What, too good for that kinda thing now? I’m sick of this little attitude ya got--” 

“ **My** attitude? You’re the one bossing me around all the time!”

Without looking at her partner, Kagura muttered, “Have you seen Jaken yet?” 

“No. I will ask for the cup when I do. But...” Neither his expression nor tone changed. “There is something we must discuss first.” 

So she’d been right about him having something to ask. Flicking her bangs out of her eyes, Kagura tried to sound as disinterested as possible. “How ominous.” 

He let his gaze travel from the scratches on her feet to the tension in her jaw. “Go to the priestess for your wounds.” 

“They’ll heal on their own. Besides, she’s busy with the taijiya.”

He shifted closer. Kagura turned, a retort at the ready for whatever admonishment she was about to receive. But he didn’t say anything else; simply bent to rest their foreheads together. 

“Sesshomaru…” The touch surprised her, in its gentleness. Such things were usually only gifted to her in the safety of his fortress, away from anyone who might see it. Which didn’t bother her, really; it was no one else’s business that Lord Sesshomaru happened to have a heart. 

But, considering the strange distances that he kept putting between them, only to later act as though nothing was amiss--it was nice to have his full attention for the moment. If only she didn’t have to keep losing it to so many boring political events. Some childish part of her wished they could just hole up together in the castle all the time, or maybe that he would join her on one of her treks once in a while. 

__ _ Wouldn’t it be nice, to be free together?  _

As loud stomping warned of Inuyasha’s entrance, he tensed up; Kagura flattened her hands against the marks on the side of his face. 

“Ignore him a moment longer, hm?” 

Maybe it was the clear affection in her tone, or the residual tension from their moment in the forest; whatever it was, he moved to meet her as she pressed forward to kiss him.

“Stupid fucking fox--” Inuyasha shoved the screen back into place with a loud slam; his face was marked with a purple paw-print. “I’m gonna kill him someday--” 

He froze, staring at Sesshomaru as the daiyokai pushed Kagura away. The smirk on her face clearly communicated what they’d just been doing, as well as the fact that she wasn’t the least bit sorry. 

“Leave us.” Sesshomaru grieved the lack of bite in the command, almost as much as the fact that the smile Kagura tossed over her shoulder as she obeyed made his stomach churn. 

As soon as the sorceress was gone, Inuyasha made a show of gagging dramatically. “You’ve got a lotta nerve, doin’ that in my damn house!” 

“You have many, many flaws, Inuyasha. Don’t make hypocrisy one of them.” 

“What the fuck’re you talking about? Kagome and I never  _ suck face  _ in front of people!” 

There were at least four instances that Sesshomaru could bring up to discredit that claim, three of which predated his brother’s marriage. “Are you quite finished?”

“You’re disgusting.” Shaking his head, the hanyou sat solidly on the floor with one leg crossed over the other. Pulling Tessaiga free, he laid the sword flat on the ground parallel to his thigh. “You're lucky you helped Sango out, or I’d make you leave just for that.” 

Finally, an opening to talk about something actually important. “We were already on our way here when we came across her. The group of boar yokai who attacked her are soldiers, part of a group commanded by Okkoto. His people and mine have been in conflict for several years.” 

The hanyou’s eyes narrowed. “So now  _ my  _ friend’s connected to _ your _ drama with him. Ain’t that convenient?”

Sesshomaru scoffed. “What happened in that forest has nothing to do with me.” 

“Does he know that Rin lives here?” 

Sesshomaru felt the marks on the side of his face burn. “No yokai across this land would dare to touch Rin. The reason for our visit is that--” 

“Why don’t you just kill him if he’s caused ya so much trouble?” Inuyasha waggled his eyebrows at Bakusaiga and Tenseiga. “Never been your style t’ hold back.” 

Sesshomaru’s eyes closed briefly as he gathered the strength not to simply deck the insolent sibling before him. “Okkoto was the West’s ally when I first ascended to power. He excelled in identifying and deconstructing the economic interests of yokai factions while in their infancy. A few strategic attacks and cut-offs by his soldiers, and there was no need for mine to even get involved. ” 

“Until he decided there was no point in being your attack pig anymore when he could do it himself.” The hanyou cracked his wrists, slightly disappointed when his brother refused to flinch. Resting his forearms on his crossed legs, he sighed, “He any smarter back then?” 

“Much.” Sesshomaru frowned at the memory. “After his son’s birth, our previous allegiance lost its value. His allegiance with yokai lords in the East and the South, however, remains strong.” 

“He still does his little coup-squashing thing over there?” 

Sesshomaru nodded. Inuyasha pressed both hands to his eyes, groaning. “Eesh, why’s this political shit so complicated--”

“For some time, his exploits were easy enough to limit, without causing an outright war between all four lands. And, truth be told, there were more pressing enemies to be concerned with.” 

“But?” 

“But he’s growing too bold. In our last conflict, I was more than ready to put Okkoto down for good.” A strange sense of pride filled him at his brother’s accepting nod, instead of a long speech about the sanctity of life or something else that no one actually believed in. “If not for the storms that delayed us, I would have.” 

“Storms? Wait--” Inuyasha’s hands curled into fists. “Like, bitch-with-a-divine-grudge kind of storm?”

Well; he certainly was quicker on the uptake than Sesshomaru would have thought. He’d been ready to spell it all out. Unfortunately, it wasn’t much to his benefit. 

“You’re not seriously telling me you let  _ two  _ of ‘em get away from you that time?!” Howling, Inuyasha reared back, nearly falling over. “Fucking up the same thing twice--how did Kagura not  _ bury you?” _

“I am certain that she wasn’t with the original group of deities that I slayed,” Sesshomaru snarled, teeth bared. “Without Mother’s records, neither I nor Kagura would have ever known she existed. Which, as I was saying previously, is the reason that I am here. Do you still retain the jars of the other two goddesses?”

“The one you busted is still in the temple, and the other’s still in the Well far as I know. Why, she got one?” 

Sesshomaru nodded. 

Inuyasha barked a laugh. “You stupid fucking prick--”

Bakusaiga hissed; Sesshomaru regretted having to silence her. “Has Rin said anything about the deities showing up in her dreams?” 

Finally sitting upright again, Inuyasha took a moment before responding. “I don’t know about dreams, but they talk to each other whenever she’s around the altars. Doesn’t seem to scare her, so I don’t make her stop.” 

Rin was having regular conversations with deities? What an unpleasant development. “What have they told her?” 

“I dunno, why don’t you ask her?” Baring his teeth at his brother, Inuyasha snapped, “By the way, what the fuck is Kagura even doing here?” 

Sesshomaru blinked slowly. “What?” 

“You dragged her here just to kick her out as soon as we have the chance to talk. What, didn’t trust her to watch the stupid castle?” 

For some incomprehensible reason, Sesshomaru wished he could just explain it all. Inuyasha had value as someone who didn’t have a personal stake in the matter that currently plagued him--or at least, had a stake that was a bit more removed. But, because this  _ was _ Inuyasha, who often responded to any kind of disclosure by 1) making it all about himself and 2) offering advice that was completely useless at least 90% of the time, regardless of whether he could personally sympathize with a situation or not, he simply said, “I don’t see why that’s any of your business.” 

The hanyou smirked. Then he leaned forward, squinting at Sesshomaru’s face. He looked at Bakusaiga, then Tensaiga, then Bakusaiga again. 

Only slight curiosity kept Sesshomaru from punching him for being such a mysterious waste of time. 

After a few moments Inuyasha leaned back. Rubbing the back of his hand under one eye, he drawled, “You’re testin’ her, aren’t you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Shit hits the fan.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I appreciate all the readers from The After who have come back. 
> 
> Not gonna lie, I'm feeling very nervous with this fic because it is a lot more plot heavy, and I really really don't want to disappoint y'all.
> 
> But regardless of whether you enjoy it or not, thanks for being here <3

How. 

How in the _seven hells_ had he figured that out? 

“I don’t need to explain myself to you.”

Inuyasha snorted. “I’m not askin’ you to explain. I mean, if you’re that determined to do the dumbest thing possible in every single situation ever, then it ain’t on me to stop ya.”

He paused meaningfully. When Sesshomaru didn’t take the bait--only rolled his eyes--the hanyou continued. “Don’t get me wrong; I wouldn’t trust Kagura to watch my lunch, much less with anythin’ important. I’m just saying if she knew _you_ didn’t--” 

“Is it a lack of intelligence or poor hearing that caused you to misunderstand? _I don’t care_ what you think.” Sesshomaru rose. In half a second, Inuyasha was on his feet as well, not willing to be in a position that even hinted at submission. The combination of heightened emotion and yokai energy in the room increased the temperature by several degrees. “Act like the adult you supposedly are, and learn when to shut up about something that doesn’t concern you.” 

“You better make sure it doesn’t concern me,” Inuyasha snapped, eyes burning with annoyance. “Cause a lot of your shit seems to come down on me, and I don’t need any more of it right now.” 

Such a perspective had merit only because he’d mentioned Okkoto; Sesshomaru swallowed down a heavy dose of self-disappointment. It had also been foolish to allow Kagura’s display of affection, and thus torch the flame of the hanyou’s temper. When put together with the fact that his concerns about Kagura were so obvious Inuyasha had been able to pick up on it--well, maybe the sorceress had been right. He sorely needed to get his shit together. 

“So, if that’s all you’ve got to say…” Inuyasha hid the confusion over his brother’s silence with more anger--as was his way. Stomping towards the door, the hanyou yanked it open and gestured dramatically towards the hall. “Go wait for Rin outside. I’ve got better things to do.” 

Rolling his eyes in one last insult, Sesshomaru slid Bakusaiga back into her sheath--when had he drawn her, during their bickering? It had hardly registered.

“Kagome had the baby, by the way,” Inuyasha said as he left; the tone of his voice made it sound like a threat, rather than simple information. “Few months ago.” 

Sesshomaru didn’t bother to point out that if he cared, he would have asked himself. Nor did he offer any congratulations; both of them would know it was insincere, and his relationship with Inuyasha was not rooted in such things. 

“Her name’s Minako.” Just before the door slid back in place, separating the two of them, Inuyasha’s tone flattened. “She’s human.” 

* * *

_Izuna felt the bones of Her shoulders crack a bit under the force of Her uncle’s hug._

_“You are doing so well!” The marvel in Raijin’s voice contrasted sharply with the hideous face that He wore. “Each storm is better than the last. Tell me, have you named yourself to any mortal beings yet?”_

_She nodded as best as She could, being pressed against His chest. Raijin squeezed even tighter with pride._

_“Uncle,” Izuna tried, voice muffled, “will all this help me with my ultimate goal?”_

_The arms around Her relaxed, as though suddenly made of wind and water instead of bone and muscle. When Izuna looked up, Her Uncle’s face was no longer smiling._

_“Izuna. You already know the answer. You must not kill another god.”_

_Indignation burned in the space behind Her eyes. Pushing against His chest to free Herself, Izuna spat, “_ **_They_ ** _killed my siblings--”_

_“Your siblings were slain in the realm of the Undivine.” Raijin did not try to stop Her from shoving Him away. His words boomed in Her ears unsympathetically. “Without worship, they were weak._ **_You_ ** _ascended, and now Fujin and I will protect--”_

_“I don’t want protection! I want my Mother and Father dead!” Izuna screamed. Behind Her, the waters of the dark pool began to churn._

_“You do not have that kind of power.”_

_“But I could.”_

_Izuna looked towards the pool, jaw clenched so tight She wouldn’t have been surprised if it snapped off and rolled across the stone floor. Water flooded Her ankles, whispering an invitation back beneath the surface._

_“Izuna.” Looming over Her, Raijin’s tone darkened into a warning. “You will not be involved in such things.”_

_Not with His blessing, clearly. But Izuna wasn’t His child, or attendant._

_Izuna was not afraid to do what must be done._

* * *

As Rin and Jaken passed through the village wall, they were met with a familiar face. 

“Lady Kagura!” Setting the basket on the ground, Rin raced forward with both arms outstretched. Just before she could touch the sorceress, Kagura’s body broke apart into seams of air, sending Rin’s sleeves and hair flying every which way. 

“Hey!” Rin laughed. The wind swirled around her twice more before re-materializing back into a familiar red-lipped smirk. 

“Don’t be so childish, you two,” Jaken muttered, claws scratching against Rin’s forehead as he fixed her bangs. “Where is Lord Sesshomaru?”

“Bickering with his brother.” Kagura rolled her eyes. “You should probably head over there soon, Rin. He’ll need something to uplift his mood.”

“Ah, is he meeting Minako?” Rin hefted the basket back onto her hip, beaming at the mention of her Lord. The three beings walked in a line as she squealed, “She’s so cute! You should come too, she’s really good about new people holding her.” 

Unbidden, the image of The Infant’s white blanket flashed in Kagura’s mind--she hadn’t held a baby since. Oh, her late master had found it _so_ amusing, placing the care of his own heart in her hands, while threatening the safety of her own. Many times she’d fantasized about throwing the stupid thing out of the highest window of a mountain-top castle. If those same urges came back with Inuyasha’s child in her arms (not that he’d let her touch his daughter anyway), the hanyou would sniff them out somehow, and she’d end up with both Tessaiga and a purified arrow through the neck. 

Better not to risk it. “You know I don’t fancy children.”

“And this is not a social visit! Lord Sesshomaru has things of dire importance to discuss!” 

Rin sighed and nodded. “Yes, Master Jaken, you said so a hundred times.”

“For something so dire, you certainly took your time,” Kagura sing-songed, earning a violent glare from the kappa. “Sesshomaru and I were weighed down carrying the taijiya, and we still beat you back.”

Rin’s face fell. Her knuckles turned white where both hands gripped the basket. “Kohaku’s hurt? What happened, is he okay?” 

“It was Sango, actually. She fell unconscious after beating a single human and a group of boar yokai in combat.” 

Rin twisted to look at Jaken. “Boar yokai? Like the guy you wanted me to ask Akari about?” 

Interest brightened Kagura’s eyes. “You still talk to that goddess?” 

Rin nodded, and the curiosity in the wind sorceress’ eyes reminded her of one reason she actually really liked Kagura. Of all the people that had been involved in her life, Kagura was one of the few who didn’t treat her carefully--especially after the events several months before.

“I imagine it’s quite annoying, having her whine at you constantly.” Ignoring Jaken’s hissed order to drop the subject, Kagura added, “Tell me it’s not the whole lot of them, I can’t even imagine the headache…” 

“Mostly Akari, sometimes Nagisa too.” Quickening her pace a bit as the healing hut came into her line of vision, Rin added, “If I’m near the altars I can talk to the fire gods too, but they don’t trust me as much.” 

“Maybe you should be a priestess instead,” Kagura mused. “You could play all kinds of tricks with divine knowledge up your sleeve.”

“Stop giving her stupid ideas!” Jaken screeched. “Now, Rin, we must go to Lord Sesshomaru immediately to tell him what--”

“I want to check on Sango first,” Rin said, her tone leaving no room for discussion--Lord Sesshomaru would have been proud. If she’d been outside the village when Sango was brought in, then that meant either Lady Kaede was working alone--and with her increasingly shaky hands and failing sight in the one eye, that made Rin nervous--or they’d pulled Kagome away from the baby to help. 

Rin missed working side-by-side with the young woman from the future, hearing all her stories about the medicine they had in another time. She’d worked up until the week before giving birth, so it hadn’t been _that_ long of an absence, but Rin was still eager to assist her again.

“Why don’t you go give Lord Sesshomaru the update yourself,” Kagura said to Jaken, hands settling on her hips. “It can’t be that important, if it took you this long to get back anyway.” 

“I don’t take orders from you!” He snapped back, eyes darting around. Why were so many humans walking around them normally, as though the sight of a pair of yokai arguing in the middle of the village was nothing to write home about! They had clearly spent too much time over the past six years coming here, if everyone was starting to acclimate to it. 

* * *

_“So you and your sister are both taijiya?” Shinjiro’s smile stretched across the entire length of his face. The fascination it sparked heat under Kohaku's collar. “That’s an amazing family business.”_

_“It wasn’t just our family. Our entire village was made up of taijiya. But our father was the best out of everybody, and he trained us to be too.”_

_If the other boy picked up on the past tense part of Kohaku’s response, he didn’t let it show. Instead, he ducked behind one of the many buildings and pointed ahead of them._

_“That’s where we store the fish and rice for trading and selling.”_

_Kohaku’s eyebrows rose. Instead of another short, squat building, this was a taller column--three stories at least. A thick wooden door cut between the paler wooden walls; at the very top of the building were a series of square windows, covered with netting._

_“The old one was made of stone, but it crumbled three summers ago.” Standing with both hands on his hips, Shinjiro stared up at the windows. “My uncle and I built this one to replace it.”_

_Kohaku tried to look impressed. Kilala’s shoulder bumped against his side, and he knew exactly what she was thinking--a stone building would have been much better at protecting against infestations and heavy weather that could otherwise rot the goods. Perhaps that was why the town’s current infestation was so bad, although it didn’t explain the problem with the fields. “And you only keep milled rice and dried fish here?”_

_A strange expression crossed Shinjiro’s face. Kohaku waited._

_“Well, sometimes my uncle gets in a bad mood...and I have to sleep here.”_

_As the other boy combed his hair back with both hands, Kohaku spied purple scars striping his shoulders._

_“Did he do those, too?”_

_Shinjiro flinched, letting his hair fall back to his shoulders. “You’ve seen the thing he carries, right?”_

_Kohaku hadn’t._

_“It’s a combination tool made to clean fish, collect ricegrass, and cut wood for carpentry. In this area, you have to have at least three skills to get by. When he’s in a bad mood, even if he’s not quick, it can still--” At once, the boy’s voice cut off. The same smile he’d worn before stretched back over his face, but this time the chills it sent up Kohaku’s spine weren’t pleasant at all. “Anyway, you probably want to inspect the inside of the storage building. I’ll unlock it for you.”_

_Kohaku started to say something, but let it fall away into a nod._

“Is your sister going to be okay?” Shinjiro folded both arms across his chest, only to let them fall back to his sides. His anxiety hadn’t faded at all since arriving in the village. Kohaku’s war trained mind couldn’t help but find the behavior strange, despite the teen’s knee-weakening eyes. 

“She’s with our best healer now.” Rin would be there soon as well, and she was only a few years behind Kagome in her skill. With both girls watching his sister, Kohaku felt confident that everything would be fine. “Shinjiro, would you come with me to where she was attacked?”

One of those nervous hands moved to tug on long strands of dark hair. “Why?” 

“Inuyasha and Miroku are busy. I want to check the other bodies as quickly as possible.” Boar yokai, especially in a group, weren’t a good sign. If a tribe was moving in with intentions to make the human village their new feeding ground, then they had another thing coming. “You may have come through that spot on your way here. It could be helpful to find out if things look different.” 

“Just because I passed through doesn’t mean I know the area,” Shinjiro started. Only after the expectant silence that followed did his voice firm. “But I’ll try.” 

* * *

“Sango? Squeeze my hand if you can hear me.” 

Kagome let out a sigh of relief as the fingers around her hand pressed tighter. It was faint, but her friend was conscious--kind of. She’d been starting to get worried. “You know who I am, right?” 

“‘Gome,” came the mumbled response. 

“Good. And do you know how old you are?” 

After a moment, Sango breathed, “Six hundred.” 

“If you’re joking, then you must be feeling better,” the priestess giggled. “Miroku will be happy to hear it...” Laughter fading, she said more quietly. “Do you remember what happened to you?”

A groan of pain was her only response, as Sango’s leg shifted. Brushing her hand over the woman’s forehead, Kagome made soothing clicks of her tongue the way she’d seen Kaede do many times before. “That’s okay, you just rest for now. I’m going to keep waking you up to make sure you don’t have a concussion, though. You’ll forgive me, right?” 

“Still there,” Sango sighed dreamily. “By the river…” 

“Hm?” Kagome tilted her head in confusion. “What is?” 

A sudden chill struck Sango’s body, and the taijiya gave a violent shudder. Shaking her head, Kagome pulled a thick blanket from her healing supplies basket and spread it over her friend with every tenderness. Sango snuggled in, cringing at the pain ringing in various places in her body. 

“Save your strength for later, when the girls want to come see you.” Kagome’s kind smile offered even more warmth than the blanket. But to Sango, it hardly registered--darkness crept into the edge of her vision. It felt familiar, somehow, but not in a comforting way. Flashes of gold, blue, and blood red fading into black... 

Suddenly, she remembered something. 

_That man...tried to feed me something...did I swallow any?_

She had to tell Kagome before it was too late. Because the man was dead, and no one else would know if she didn’t.

 _Go away!_ She fought the darkness. _I can’t go yet!_

It was very important that she tell Kagome…

Tell Kagome…

Something..

“ **You must be cold.”**

Sango opened her eyes with a frustrated groan. How could she still be so weak from the fight? She’d fought total darkness and won before--that time her brother had been under Naraku’s control, burying his blade in her back. Back then she had dug her own way out of earth and grime and mud, until she could breathe again. 

But if it had beaten her this time, did that mean...

Fear gripped her heart in a cold fist, shaking it about like fireflies in a jar. Sitting up, she bit back a scream at the creature standing in front of her. 

“ **You’re young. At least compared to some...”** The being placed its hands together rather peacefully considering the situation. “ **Hello.”**

Whirling around, Sango blinked in horror at the mass of blood-red fog surrounding her. Shapes moved in and out of the swirling mist--mostly open-jawed demons of more shapes and sizes than she could count. Roars of pain or fury were audible, but dulled, as though she was underwater. 

“Where am I?” A quick check confirmed all of her weapons were gone. But of course; Kagome had relieved her of them when she’d arrived in the healing room. 

**“This is a special realm of the Underworld.”** The creature’s sharp smile didn’t shift at Sango’s pained gasp. “ **You see, we weren’t expecting you yet. So we couldn’t just keep you with all the other ones.”**

“All the other--” It was like she’d been stabbed in the heart with her own sword. The emotional pain stung worse than any of the physical kind that she’d ever endured. 

Was she _dead_? 

Choking back the urge to vomit, she tried to think. There had to be some way out of this. Sesshomaru had rescued Rin from the Underworld before; Kikyo, Kohaku, even Kagura had escaped death. Surely there was a chance that this wasn’t the end. 

She could beat this. Sango could beat death; she just had to be smart. 

Steeling herself, the taijiya made direct eye contact with the creature in front of her. “What happened to me?” 

The great, shaggy head was shaking before she’d finished speaking. **“Wasn’t me, couldn’t tell you**.” 

**“** You can’t tell me what killed me?” Indignation rang in the air around them. 

**“Not** **_killed._ ** **Your soul has split from the body, is all.** ”

There didn’t seem to be a significant difference, in her opinion. Sango pushed on. “If I’m not supposed to be here yet, then how do I get out?” 

The response was a dramatic sigh. Instead of an explanation, all she got were claws waved in her face. Crossing both arms over her chest, Sango used the same voice that worked on Inuyasha when he was being a jerk for no reason. “Take me to where the other souls are, then.” 

The creature’s head shook again. “ **Not allowed.”**

“Then what am I supposed to do?” 

For a moment, it seemed that the creature looked at her with pity. Then, as it spoke again, Sango’s veins filled with cold, aching dread.

“ **Wait.”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Sango fights death, other people fight each other, and a challenge is laid down.


	8. Chapter Eight

Rin’s stomach dropped as soon as she entered the healing room. 

Kagome was kneeling on the floor beside the cot that was used for overnight patients. Shippo sat pale-faced to her right, Kilala to the left. The only creature in the room that seemed unconcerned was Minako, tucked against her mother’s chest and feeding noisily. 

“Lady Kagome, what’s wrong?” Sango’s face had a healthy enough amount of color in it, and the injuries on the side of her head and corner of her lip seemed in line with those the taijiya had received before. After some of the things Rin had seen happen in this room, she couldn’t understand why her friends looked so grim. 

It was Shippo who answered, voice stuttering slightly. “She won’t wake up.”

“What?” Rin pressed one hand against the side of Sango’s neck to feel her pulse. Kilala’s whimper reached her ears, and Rin tried to be extra gentle. “Was she drugged--” 

Something jolted deep within her, spiraling out to the tips of her fingers and disappearing just as quickly, leaving an uncomfortable burn behind. 

“It’s her soul.” Her own voice sounded very far away, like in a dream. “It’s stuck. Right?” 

Kagome nodded; a spot of blood bloomed from where the priestess’ teeth worried her bottom lip. 

“Stuck?” Shippo rubbed one hand over Sango’s arm, as though trying to keep her warm. “How do you know that?” 

“I just do.” The same sense of foreboding that had plagued her after being saved by the Meido stone--the feeling she thought had gone away, once she’d been blessed by the goddesses Nagisa and Akari--had returned. A trickle of sweat trailed down her forehead, and Rin brushed a hand through her hair to hide it. “Lady Kagome, what should we do?” 

Shippo turned to the priestess with huge eyes. “Couldn’t she just be in a coma?” 

“No.” The anger in Kagome’s voice was plain enough to shock both kids in the room into silence as she continued. “Somehow, Sango’s soul has left her body. And if it’s separated from her for too long, then she’ll die.”

Kilala snarled, head whipping up from where it rested on her mistress’ thigh. The noise startled Minako, who twisted her head from her mother’s breast with a wail. Kagome patted the infant’s back and stated more firmly, “But we’re not going to let that happen. Rin, I’m going to need some things from the temple. Shippo, get Inuyasha and Miroku over here _now.”_

Saluting, the kitsune dashed off. Rin remained frozen, overwhelmed by the resurgence of old fears. Kagome must have noticed--a determined expression came over her face, and she leaned forward to catch Rin’s eye. 

“We’re going to fix this. But first we need to figure out how the heck this happened. Will you help me?” 

Swallowing, Rin nodded. “Of course, Lady Kagome!” 

* * *

_With a snarl, Kilala pounced. Kohaku made a soft noise of praise as she turned around to display the rat caught in her jaws._

_“Good job, Kilala!”_

_Upon inspection, her prey appeared to be the only rat yokai hiding in the storeroom. Not only that, but every barrel of rice within the storeroom was shut tight, with no sign of disturbance. “Ah, so it’s really the fields that are the problem.”_

_Shinjiro breathed out in relief. Hastily, Kohaku added, “But most likely this rat was sent to scout for new food. We don’t know that another one of them found all this rice and made it back to the colony.”_

_Shuddering as Kilala swallowed a piece of her prize, Shinjiro muttered, “Maybe we should station a few cats in here…”_

_“That would work for regular rats, but not yokai,” Kohaku pointed out. He knew what Sango would say if she were here--to set traps all around the building, then try to locate the nest to destroy it. But he didn’t want to risk the colony simply crossing the bridge to the other town, and making more work for her. “It would take some work, but we could move the rice somewhere else, then draw the rats here on purpose so Kilala and I can take care of them in one fell swoop. What do you think?”_

_Shinjiro smiled. “You’re the expert. Just tell me what you want me to do.”_

_Kohaku hoped he wasn’t blushing too obviously. “Okay, here’s my plan…”_

What had happened to Sango had left him on edge; as Kohaku walked through the forest, each small noise caused his hand to tighten on his kusarigama. The path to where his sister had been in battle wouldn’t have been obvious without the spots of blood marking the dirt floor and traces that he recognized as Kagura and Sesshomaru’s footprints. Every shadow cast by the lacy tangles of tree branches seemed more ominous. With Shinjiro keeping pace, they were practically jogging.

His usual memory trick wasn’t working, not when it was Sango he was so worried for. Kohaku needed a distraction--someone else’s problem; that’d always been good. “Tell me about Orochi.” 

“What?” Shinjiro nearly stumbled, catching himself just in time. “Kohaku, you don’t--”

Despite everything that was going on, hearing his own name from Shinjiro’s lips sent something warm and bubbly through him, immediately followed by a heavy swallow of guilt. ““Your village still needs help, right?” 

“Of course, but I thought your brother-in-law said--”

“He doesn’t get to decide the missions I go on.” As much as he loved and respected Miroku, Kohaku didn’t believe in limiting his assistance to anyone. Who was he, Naraku’s former servant, to judge someone for their bad choices? “Tell me. How often does Orochi take people?”

Shinjiro came to a stop as he thought. Kohaku spied a scratch in the ground--where Hiraikotsu might have caught--and changed direction. 

Finally, the other boy spoke.

“The village elders said that a long time ago, there was a god that ruled the river by our village. The water would flow abundantly, and no one ever went hungry. But the god disappeared one day, the day Orochi came. Our villagers still fished in the river, but without divine blessings, they didn’t catch as much as before. So they built the rice paddies, and started to worship a rice god instead.

After a while, girls from the rice fields would disappear, too. Every other year, Orochi would take one away. Even if they locked all the girls in houses, and only let the boys out to work, it didn’t help.” Shinjiro shook his head slowly. “Orochi took my mother the year after I was born. They said my uncle changed after that. He drank more, and would spend entire days praying to the rice gods to save us. It must have worked, because for a few years we didn't lose anyone. But in return, our crops suffered. It was like we couldn’t win.” 

He paused in his story as Kohaku knelt to look at a clump of green stalks, their leaves pulled free. It had been nearly hidden in the grass; Shinjiro himself would have missed it. 

“Sango collected these,” the taijiya murmured to himself. Noting similar splotches creating a path into the trees to his right, he waved Shinjiro on. “You can keep going.” 

“Um, okay...so this year, we had a really amazing harvest. No one expected it because the water content of the paddies has been higher than it’s supposed to be...anyone else would have been happy. But all my uncle could talk about was the price that it was going to cost us.” Voice breaking, Shinjiro tried to hold back tears. “He wouldn’t stop saying stuff like that--pointing out random girls in the village, like, ‘you think it’ll be her, or that he’ll want two?’ It wasn’t to be mean, he was _angry,_ but I couldn’t just...so I did what he did. I prayed to the rice goddess to save us.”

At once, Kohaku’s hand was on the other boy’s shoulder, squeezing gently--Shinjiro’s hurt pulled on every corner of his heart.

“Kohaku,” he sighed, “You must think I’m a terrible person.”

Kohaku shook his head. “I promise I don’t.” 

“But it’s like your brother said. If she did sacrifice herself, or run off, then our crops died anyway. And what about when Orochi comes back?” 

An idea sparked faintly in Kohaku’s mind as he considered that. “Look, Shinjiro. We have to find out what happened to Sango. But after we do, I’ll go back to your village with you. I think I know how to help.”

Back straightening a bit, Shinjiro nodded. The ghost of a smile crossed his lips, and Kohaku turned away before the urge to match it took over.

_I can save his village, I know I can. But Sango comes first._

_After all she’s done for me, Sango_ **_has_ ** _to come first..._

* * *

Thick, fuzzy leaves bobbed against the top Sango’s head. Hunching further under the foliage, she sniffed as quietly as possible. _Don’t sneeze, don’t sneeze._

Lying on her stomach in the bushes, she tried to focus on anything but her heart’s thudding echo in both ears--the rich smell of earth, all of the muscles in her legs burning as she tried to make herself small. Crunching footsteps circled around her hiding place; when she bit down on the inside of her cheek, it tasted like salt and metal.

Then a hand closed down on her ankle, and with a yelp she was yanked back into the light. 

“Very good, Sango!” Her father’s eyes sparkled warmly as he set her back on her feet, brushed dirt from the front of her uniform. “Freshly turned earth like that would definitely do well to hide your scent. You’ll be the best slayer in the village in no time!” 

Sango beamed from the praise before sneezing several times in succession. Chuckling, her father used the edge of his sleeve to clean her face. 

A few yards away, where their picnic blanket lay, she could hear her two year-old brother, Kohaku, babbling some kind of story to himself. Grabbing her father’s hand, she dragged him over so they could start their lunch…

“ _Father_ !” Sango came to with a strangled gasp. She’d decided to ignore the strange Underworld creature’s order to simply sit around and wait for death to catch up the rest of the way. But not only had no amount of walking gotten her _anywhere_ in the strange fog, but she kept getting caught up in these half-memories, half-dreams. 

_Father...were you trapped here, too? Where is your spirit now?_

Ordering herself not to cry--not here, not now--she stood. This was not where the dead were supposed to go; the creature that greeted her had said so. There had to be a point where this place and the other diverged. If she just found where that was, then maybe she could escape the Underworld entirely. 

But how could she do that, if her thoughts wouldn’t hold together? Shaking, Sango turned to stare into the mass of fog, the shrieking of demons roaring in her ears. The memory-dreams felt so real. It was almost like going back in time.

_Whenever the next one happens, I’ll have to work hard to remind myself where I actually am. I have to tell myself that it’s just a distraction. It isn’t real._

As she adjusted the front fold of her kimono, her fingers came away streaked with mud.

* * *

“O Spirit,” Okkoto murmured, pressing his hands into the bowl of water. Around him, each soldier crouched motionless. Even Taichi remained silent, bandaged arm draped over one bent knee. “We have...a slight situation with the apple.”

The voice roared in his ears immediately. _What have you done?_

It was only the audience of his people that kept Okkoto’s voice from shaking. “Please, Spirit, it was not our doing. We demanded a sacrifice from the humans at the village, as you requested. One of them took the apple, and it became damaged. Several of my soldiers perished retrieving it.” 

_How many?_

“Four. My son escaped, and the last is yet to be found.” 

The next moment unfurled so slowly that panic erupted inside him; what if the goddess had abandoned them? But then her voice echoed again, and to his relieved surprise, she sounded much calmer. 

_Do they still believe that you would save them from the serpent?_

“Yes.” Humans were stupid creatures. Despite their clear disgust with his yokai tribe, as soon as Okkoto had suggested to trade a sacrifice with protection, they’d jumped at the chance to betray one of their own. “Will the sacrifice still work with the apple we have? Or perhaps you could send us another--” 

Before he’d even finished speaking, a shiny red fruit surfaced beneath Okkoto’s fingers. The shocked gasp that sounded over his shoulder was most likely his son, and he hid the smirk as best as he could. _Now you see, my son--that is the power of a god!_

“Thank you, Spirit. We are not worthy of such grace.” Bowing, he handed the fruit to Ikue, who knelt at his side. To his surprise, three more of them appeared, floating along the edges of the bowl.

_For all the trouble they have brought you,_ the voice whispered, _they will sacrifice one for each of the soldiers you have lost._

“That’s so sweet--” Taichi started to say in a normal tone of voice, before two dozen others shushed him loudly. 

* * *

Bickering with Jaken had gotten boring rather quickly, especially after she’d lifted the cup off of him. Luckily, Kagura had a rather simple way to escape him. 

Swirling around the village as the wind, she was able to witness the shift in energy without being in the way. First Shippo came weaving through the houses with impressive speed, screeching Inuyasha’s name. Then, she’d seen the hanyou himself, followed by Miroku with all of his children, racing back the other way. Kohaku wasn’t with them, and Kagura had to admit she was disappointed not to have seen him yet.

The unease in the group’s manner normally wouldn’t have worried her beyond a certain point. Though they were magnets for trouble, Sango had been mostly fine when they’d found her; surely she would heal, based on what Kagura knew of the taijiya’s strength and Kagome’s medical knowledge.

Still, watching the monk try to shepherd his brood at a pace quicker than they seemed capable of certainly made her nervous. Perhaps she had missed something important about the fight--the presence of Okkoto’s soldiers were certainly a concern all on their own, but what about the human man? 

Perhaps she could start with finding out what Inuyasha had had to say regarding Okkoto’s feud with the West. Mind set, Kagura breezed through the village looking for Sesshomaru.

Despite all else that she had on her mind, the Infant’s hypnotic voice and pupil-less eyes kept flashing through her memory. How annoying--such a thing hadn’t happened the other hundred times that she’d heard Kagome’s pregnancy mentioned; the baby wasn’t even the most interesting thing Rin had talked about. And yet if she’d had physical form, Kagura was sure there would be an uncomfortable prickling of her arms and twist in her gut. The more she tried _not_ to think about it, the clearer and faster the memories came.

_You died way before Naraku did, so stop haunting me, damn it!_

To her relief, Rin and Sesshomaru’s familiar forms were only a few yards ahead. The two stood talking beside the temple; Rin’s pink kimono made a stark splash of color against the line of altars. The girl ward seemed on-edge, answering all of her Lord’s questions in short, hurried sentences. 

Ignoring the familiar breeze circling his shoulders, Sesshomaru said, “And you haven’t received any kind of warning or threat?” 

“ _No,_ Lord Sesshomaru. I promise, I would tell you if I did.” Bouncing from foot to foot, Rin’s voice dropped. “I need to go back to help Lady Kagome.” 

Gold eyes narrowed. “Fine. Go.”

She flung both arms around him in a quick hug before racing off. 

“She still embraces you like a child,” Kagura hummed thoughtfully as she materialized by the daiyokai’s side. With her pointer finger hooked around the cup’s handle, she dangled it in front of his face. 

“Something has upset her.” Sesshomaru gripped her arm firmly. “I will deal with it later. For now, we must talk.” 

Kagura allowed him to pull her away from the temple’s steps. It was rare that he chose anything over Rin, and she certainly wasn’t going to throw away his attention. “What’s all the rush? We’re staying the night, aren’t we--”

Tension wound between Sesshomaru’s shoulders like a snake, seeking the best place to land a bite. This hadn’t been at all the way he wanted to go about things. But there was no other choice, at this point.

When they were far away enough to glean some modicum of privacy, he released his grip. Rolling her eyes, Kagura waited. 

“Do you only stay in the West because of me?” 

She smirked. “Oh, you shouldn’t flatter yourself so. I do have at least two friends that sweeten the deal.” Her voice softened with purposeful affection. “But I suppose you’re the main reason, yes.” 

But from the lines in his brow, it appeared the wrong thing to say. Confused, Kagura fell silent. 

Sesshomaru’s next words were brittle, as though long-rehearsed as to become stale. “I believe Okkoto has a wind jar, and that his goal with it is to take control of the West. In such instances of conflict, one must think practically.” He had never feared looking anyone in the eye, but at the present moment it seemed easier to stare into the distance over the wind witch’s shoulder. “You have remained at my side for several months. I have assumed it is because you desire to rule with me, as the Lady of the Western Lands.” 

Kagura lost her grip on the cup; though she caught it before it hit the ground, the shock only increased with every second that passed. 

“If this is indeed your intention, then you must be made aware of that which will be required of you. If I am to perish, the West would be under your protection and control. Every creature within these borders would depend on you. This is not a responsibility that can be tossed aside, unless there is an heir able and willing to take your place.” 

And, as of that afternoon, Inuyasha’s demand to be ‘kept out of things’ had eliminated him as an option. Not that Sesshomaru would ever admit to having considered it. As for the Lady of the Sky Castle, her affection extended to _him_ alone, not that which he ruled; the priorities of the North would always outweigh the West in her eyes, and he would never blame her for it. 

“Succeeding my father has made this my occupation. For you, it is a choice.” He would leave it there. No need to mention the unfavorable factors--her former allegiance, the lack of tribal affiliation or assets--that would affect others’ opinions of his choice, regardless of the fact he himself placed no importance on them. Kagura could earn anyone’s respect, if given enough time and the right circumstances. 

The fact that he was asking this question at all was testament to that.

Kagura hesitated--brain moving slowly, as though clouded with miasma, to put the pieces together of what exactly was happening. The intensity of Sesshomaru’s stare on her didn’t help; did he want an answer _now?_

“Have you been putting this off because you didn’t have a political reason to ask until now,” she finally said, “Or did you just fear that I would reject you?”

Sesshomaru stiffened. "I fear nothing. I simply have no intentions to force you to remain in any place where you don’t want to be. Or to trap you into an agreement without fully understanding the effects it would have on your life.” 

Kagura shook her head slowly--not that she had much experience with such things, but she’d thought proposals for marriage were supposed to be offered happily. Not as solemn, cautious responses to a threat of war. _I know that expressing emotion is apparently beneath him, but fucking hell..._

For a moment, neither creature moved. Then Sesshomaru stepped forwards; despite the storm of emotions warring in her heart, Kagura didn’t flinch away as his palm found the curve of her cheek. 

“I will give you time to consider it.” 

She nodded. Realizing all of a sudden that she was still holding the cup, she pressed it into his chest. As soon as Sesshomaru took it in hand, Kagura’s form shifted into only a gust of air, disappearing into the sky. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scores out of 10 for that proposal, everyone? Can we tell that Jaken helped him prep? *awkward off-beat clapping*


	9. Chapter Nine

Desperate for a place to collect her thoughts, Kagura circled around for several minutes before finally ending up in the fields outside the village wall. 

She lay on her back, palms pressing down into the grass. A wide expanse of beryl-blue curved above, mottled with pearly clouds that grayed the further they crept towards the ocean. But even that seemed like not enough space to lay out the details of what had just transpired. 

All those small, distancing moments made sense, now. He’d been presenting opportunities to her. Seeing whether she’d catch interest, take the lead in it, rather than simply follow along. How  _ dare  _ he test her in such a way, instead of making his intentions clear from the start…it hadn’t been fair to put her in the position to be a disappointment, without knowing the game she was playing. 

With an annoyed sigh, Kagura closed her eyes to block out the intensity of the blue. 

_ “I have assumed it is because you desire to rule with me, as the Lady of the Western Lands.”  _ Perhaps it made her foolish, but she had never considered such a thing. Kagura was content enough with a life absent of chains. She was surprised that he even put himself in the position to face potential rejection by asking. 

But he  _ had  _ asked. And now that the question had been posed, things would never be the same again. He desired a partner in building his empire, and Kagura seriously doubted that there was room enough in his life for her to remain if she was not up to the task. 

But  _ was _ she?

As it usually did, the sky brought back memories of her many flights--all those moments she’d had to travel on her former master’s whims, or her near escapes from Inuyasha and his friends. In truth, Kagura had spent the entirety of her first life helping Naraku claw his way to authority. Power of her own had only been important because of the hope that freedom would come with it; increasing her sense of responsibility was never the intention. Though in the end, her soul had been so resistant to control, that she’d failed in her entire purpose of existence. 

She curled her fingers, feeling earth dig in under her nails. His concerns, and the games they had spawned, no longer seemed so insulting when her past was considered.

Thinking on the part about an heir--all that hadn’t been directly said, but that she knew still mattered--forced her eyes back open. Certainly she’d be encouraged to provide him one. As she inspected the idea like a gem in the light, Kagura found herself intrigued by one side of the subject. 

Because, despite his questionable levels of emotional intelligence and a  _ hell  _ of a lot of daddy issues, Sesshomaru would probably get by as a parent. If he really tried, anyway. Watching over Rin had softened his heart enough for it, whether he openly acknowledged it or not. And if the child was of his own flesh and blood, she imagined he would do even better. 

But what about her, who had only ever been guided through fear and self-preservation? ‘Loving mother’ was the last possibility that came to anyone’s mind when they thought of Kagura the wind witch. And with good reason--perhaps the disgust she’d felt caring for The Infant would extend to any such child, even if she didn’t want it to. 

Bringing any creature into the world, simply to fuck them up with the remnants of all that had tormented her...despite what people thought, Kagura didn’t find joy in such plain cruelty. Naraku had poisoned the souls of each of his incarnations with his own fears. Such a legacy was not worth extending. 

But how could she explain that to someone else? Sesshomaru, bound by duty, wouldn’t know what to do with such a fear. He was supposed to be the practical one, yet he didn’t seem to understand how easily Kagura could destroy whatever was placed in her hands. The clouds above darkened, as though affected by her very thoughts. 

Pressing both shoulders harder against the ground, the sorceress tried to calm the tremors shooting through her spine. Her eyes squeezed shut again as she appraised the worst part of it all--” _ If I am to perish, the West would be under your protection and control.” _

It was highly unlikely, considering his power. But not impossible. And if she lost him to these lands, how could she stand to reside in them? 

Yet, Sesshomaru had no full-blood siblings to take on his burdens. Even if she declined his proposal entirely, if something happened to him then who would rule in his stead?

_ Jaken?  _

She snorted, and the noise was carried away in the wind. What a laughable situation that would be! The West would burn within a week. 

And yet, it wasn’t the kind of thing to keep her up at night. Perhaps that was the problem. Kagura was simply too selfish, too uncaring towards creatures she’d never met, and that was why he couldn’t ask for her hand happily. 

Sitting up, she roughly combed pieces of grass from her hair. The actions loosened it from the bun she usually kept it up in. For the first time in years, she missed her feathers--they’d broken upon resurrection, like her earrings. Granted, she had no need for them now that she could shift into the wind itself, but they’d still been  _ hers.  _ That sent her mind towards her collection of found objects in Sesshomaru’s castle--all the things she’d collected, simply because she could have things now. None of the trinkets had any true value, or remained anything that could be missed. 

Just like them, Kagura wasn’t truly necessary; in her heart, she knew that she fit for nothing but to simply exist, an afterthought of a god’s petty games. 

Frustration mounting, she twisted thick, tangled strands between both hands. Why had he been so stupid to ask, when surely he was well aware of all of her short-comings in the situation? Whether she said yes and doomed herself to being an inevitable disappointment, or said no and put a gulf of hurt between them, it would now be her fault. 

_ Damn him! _

* * *

The last thing that Sesshomaru wanted to do was waste time. 

By Rin’s second-hand account, the third goddess was the oldest daughter, called Izuna. She had abandoned her siblings as soon as they’d left the divine realm; like Nagisa and Akari, she carried a wind jar. Unfortunately, the storm goddesses knew nothing of Okkoto or what he had to do with Izuna’s plans. The fact that the jar was now in the hands of a yokai tribe had only horrified them--even as he and Rin discussed it, the fires in each altar had roared with considerable ominosity at that particular point. 

The voice that had awakened him the previous night was another thorn of discomfort in Sesshomaru’s side.  _ What is mine will return-- _ had his first assumption been correct, and this new deity was making a claim over Rin? If so, it would only be line with her sisters’ inclinations. Though if that was the case, then why not come to the girl directly, instead of Okkoto’s forces? 

Unless the boar yokai’s purpose was to remove him from Rin’s side, and thus leave her unprotected…perhaps Inuyasha had been right to be suspicious. 

So many questions without answers frustrated him enough; but Sesshomaru could not yet leave the village. Kagura had disappeared to think things over, and if he and Jaken departed without her, then she was liable to take offense to it. 

If she was planning on coming back. 

As it seemed, the best use of his time was to return to his earlier conversation with Rin. Jaken at his side, he found her inside a healing hut--once a single room, now outfitted with a narrow hallway for privacy reasons. On the other side of the screen, shadows fluttered back and forth, while Rin sat against the door. The troubled look on her face lessened as soon as she saw him, which Sesshomaru couldn’t deny was a comfort. 

“Where’s Lady Kagura?” She tilted her head knowingly. “Did the two of you fight again?” 

Sesshomaru’s sleeves brushed the walls of the hall, and he growled in discomfort at the lack of space. “No.” 

“I’m sure she’ll be back soon,” Jaken sniffed. “Only a very stupid woman would reject such a generous offer, to go from a mere wind witch to a proper Lady.” 

“A lady? Ah, Lord Sesshomaru!” Rin shrieked, hands flying to cup her face in shock and delight. “You proposed to Lady Kagura?” 

Immediately, the door to the healing room slammed open for Shippo, Miroku, and Kagome to poke their heads out. The edge of the door caught on Jaken’s robe, sending him stumbling. 

“You  _ did? _ ” Kagome squealed. 

“Please, tell us what happened!” Miroku stepped into the hall, eyes wide with excitement and more than a little disbelief. “Don’t leave anything out--when Sango awakens, I would like to be able to relate this story to her as accurately as possible.” 

“Get away!” Realizing his mistake in mentioning it, and desperate to avoid a punishment, Jaken swung his staff at Miroku’s elbow. “What business is it of--” 

His words broke off into a squawk of horror as the staff was yanked from his grasp; then Miroku hauled the kappa up by the neck of his robe so that they were face-to-face. 

“Hit me with that again and you will regret it,” the monk snapped. His violet eyes burned blue, betraying the temper that he had worked so hard to master, which due to the circumstances of the past few days had shortened considerably. 

Jaken gulped audibly. “Fair enough.”

When the monk looked back at Sesshomaru, the cheerful expression had returned, which somehow disturbed Jaken even more. “As you were saying, Lord Sesshomaru.”

Before the daiyokai could find the right combination of chilling words to shut down the conversation, Shippo interrupted to yell back into the healing room. “Hey, Inuyasha, don’t you want to hear this?” 

“ _ No, _ ” came the harsh growl, “I want to know where the hell Kohaku took that crazy climbing-kid so I can ask him what the  _ fuck  _ he knows!”

“Inuyasha!” Kagome snapped over her shoulder. “Watch the language!” 

Sesshomaru groaned inwardly as the reasons for Kagome’s admonishment--one wearing bows, one without, and the youngest one with a baby blanket dragging behind him--peered around the screen door. 

“Mister Dog!” One of the girls squealed, and he barely resisted baring his teeth at her. The use of such an informal, childish term sent Jaken into obvious shock. “Did you wanna say hi to Mama? She’s sleepin’!” 

This was unacceptable--too many humans in too little space. Abruptly, Sesshomaru moved to leave. But unfortunately for him, Rin’s hand remained on his sleeve, and he was unwilling to shake her off. 

His ward’s brow furrowed. “Lady Kagura  _ did  _ say yes, didn’t she?” 

“Or that she’d think about it?” Shippo added. “That’s better than a no!” 

“Not much better,” Miroku scolded, settling in the doorway; each of his daughters propped their chin on his shoulder, while Mushin clambered over to lay across his father’s lap. “If done properly, there should be tears in her eyes from the overwhelming affection in her heart.” 

“Keh, what’re you talkin’ about?” Inuyasha’s voice grew louder, as he finally stomped over to join the rest of the group. Sesshomaru finally saw why he’d been loathe to join them; a bundled infant lay across his shoulder, tugging on long strands of the hanyou’s silver hair. “When you asked Sango, you wouldn’t even promise to stop flirting with other girls!” 

Keiko, Emi, and Mushin gasped in dramatic unison. “ _ Daddy!”  _

Kagome winced at the memory, while Shippo burst into cackling laughter. While this conversation was not one that he felt at all necessary to allow to continue, even Sesshomaru had to acknowledge such a thing seemed obviously stupid. The standards for humans seemed quite low, especially since with her skills it wasn’t as though Sango couldn’t have found better options...

Speaking of, perhaps he could gain some information as to why Okkoto’s forces had been in the woods from her, and save himself from any further discussion. “When will the slayer regain consciousness?” 

“Uh…” Kagome’s eyes darted towards the three children, who all looked up at her expectantly. After an awkward silence, Inuyasha spoke.

“Shippo, you and the little ones go play outside’.” 

The kitsune’s eyes bugged. “Babysitting  _ again _ ? Come on--”

“ _ Now,”  _ Inuyasha snarled, the aggression somewhat downplayed by a hiccuping cough from the baby in his arm. Glancing down, the hanyou noted a milky wet patch staining the sleeve of his robe. “Aw, hell--” 

“Go ahead, Shippo.” Shifting his son off of his lap, Miroku spoke with false cheer. “And if you see Kohaku, make sure to send him and his friend here immediately.” 

Shippo’s scowled darkly; as Kagome tried to pat his head in comfort, he dodged out of the way. “ _ Fine _ . Come on, Mushin.” 

Mushin nodded and turned to shove his blanket into Rin’s lap. “For Mama.” 

Sesshomaru had to push himself against one wall to avoid being touched by the children as they went, not that it stopped the girl without bows from reaching for Bakusaiga’s hilt anyway. 

“Don’t, Emi!” Shippo called, bounding after them sullenly. 

“Why haven’t you answered Lord Sesshomaru’s question?” Jaken snapped as soon as the children had departed. “I thought her wounds were minimal. Has she up and died?” 

“No!” Kagome held both hands out in Miroku’s direction, as though he’d been the one to speak. “But, um, her soul is kind of...missing?” 

“ _ Missing?” _

__ “Or stuck,” Rin added. “In another realm.” 

Jaken rubbed both sides of his face in unease. 

“We’ve dealt with similar things before. Kikyo’s soul collectors could steal souls from living people,” Kagome pointed out. “As did Kanna’s mirror.”

“Okkoto’s men don’t carry such weapons,” Sesshomaru pointed out. “Even if they did, I would have sensed its spiritual power.” 

“Maybe you missed it,” Inuyasha drawled, reappearing in the doorway in his under-shirt. “Like you did the second  _ and _ third storm goddess.” 

“Nagisa and Izuna,” Rin corrected. Her fingers played with the edges of Mushin’s baby blanket as she added, “But it can’t have been soul collectors, because Sango’s not walking around mindlessly. She just won’t wake up.” 

Sesshomaru eyed the monk, who had said nothing since sending the children away. 

“She had blood on the side of her mouth.” Kagome’s finger tapped the corner of her own lips. “Maybe she bit someone, and they had a really  _ weird  _ biological makeup--” 

“Or they forced somethin’ down her throat,” Inuyasha interrupted grimly. As if on cue, the baby in his arms wailed in a loud, high pitch. The noise sent Jaken rearing back dramatically; Sesshomaru felt only mild surprise that his half-brother, of the famed ears, hadn’t  _ dropped  _ her. 

“Oh, Minako,” Kagome sing-songed, rubbing her daughter’s back with one hand until she calmed. “It’s okay…”

“Is she sensitive to yokai energy, or simply annoying _?”  _

“She’s a  _ baby,  _ Master Jaken!” Rin’s hands settled on her hips as her face screwed up. “Don’t bully her!” 

Sesshomaru found the bossiness of her tone--and his retainer’s grumbling in response--slightly more amusing than annoying.“When we located her, she was looking for something on the human’s body.”

“Really? What was it?” 

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. If he knew, would he not have said it directly? “Such things imply that it is not Okkoto’s doing.” 

“Then what did his men want with Sango?” Inuyasha argued. 

“How is Lord Sesshomaru supposed to know? Perhaps if she’d left one alive for interrogation, we could have found out--” 

It would have been better for Jaken not to say anything at all; before he could even finish his sentence, everyone in the room (except his Lord and the infant) exploded with orders not to blame Sango. With all the noise, the infant started shrieking again. 

“We all know there’s somethin’ weird about the kid who climbed the wall, but that ain’t mean the stupid pig’s innocent!” Inuyasha added, trying in vain to hush his daughter. As the crying only increased in volume, Sesshomaru acknowledged that Rin had released his sleeve, leaving him free to exit. 

“Deal with  _ that,”  _ he muttered, rolling his eyes at the bundle on his half-brother’s shoulder, “and alert me when there’s something to be done.” 

Sitting around talking could only get one so far, anyway. Not to mention that the lack of information from the storm goddesses had severely reduced the importance of his visit. After Kagura came back, whether with an answer to his offer or not, then he would have to start searching for Okkoto. Which wouldn’t be as easy as it sounded--yet another unfortunate effect of the wind-jar being in the old proselyte’s grasp meant the scent of his soldiers was widely dispersed. 

Still, perhaps a distraction would be needed. Sesshomaru was far from stupid; though Kagura hadn’t cursed at him or thrown the cup, her initial shock and quick disappearance didn’t bode well for her answer. It was only a small comfort that he had been rejected before, only for her to return to him anyway.   


But if death hadn’t separated them, then how could such a thing as this? 

* * *

Despite Kagome’s assurance that she and Rin would only be checking on Kaede for a short while, as the minutes ticked by Inuyasha became increasingly suspicious that he’d been abandoned. Sure, trying to figure out what was wrong with Sango on reduced sleep was most likely running his poor wife ragged. But he would still be annoyed to find out she’d gone off in the middle of Minako’s tantrum to, say, take a nap somewhere. 

At the very least, the baby’s noise could have helped to wake Sango from her cursed sleep. But from her spot on the healing cot, both eyes remained closed, chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. And, to increase the hanyou’s embarrassment, Miroku had remained to watch him fail at calming his daughter down. 

“Ain’t you got things to do?” He snapped, patting his daughter’s back in a quick rhythm.

The monk shook his head. “Shippo has the kids. Besides, I want to be by Sango’s side as much as possible.” 

There wasn’t a way he could argue with that; if it had been Kagome, he certainly wouldn’t have let anybody send him away. 

“Come on,” he sighed at the wailing child in his arms. “Why all the attitude, huh?”

“May I?” Miroku held out his hands. After a few moments of stubborness, Inuyasha gave in and handed his daughter over. With as much gentleness as possible, the monk folded each tiny arm over until they were crossed over the bird-like chest; holding them in place securely, he tilted the infant so her stomach faced the floor, then rocked her back and forth. 

“See,” he said quietly, “there’s no need to get upset…”

“I ain’t upset!” 

The monk bit back a smile. “I was talking to Minako.” 

When the baby’s cries had softened to inelegant snorts, Miroku glanced back at Inuyasha. The hanyou’s ears were bent back towards his head, a grimace contorting his face. The monk felt a pang of sympathy for him--no parent enjoyed seeing their child in pain, much less if they didn’t know how to ease it. 

Inuyasha must have sensed the concern, because he threw both shoulders back with a boisterous grunt. “She’s s’posed to be doing better, Kaede said.” 

“All babies are different. Some are more sensitive than most.” After an appropriate silence, Miroku added, “Did I tell you that Sango and I fought the other day?” 

“Huh.” Despite his casual tone, curiosity piqued Inuyasha’s interest. After their wedding, the main thing his two friends had spent their relationship arguing about--Miroku’s flirting habits--became a solid non-issue. Other than petty bickering, he didn’t think they’d properly  _ fought  _ in years. “What about?” 

“The girls’ taijiya training.” 

“Oh, shit. I haven’t asked Totosai--”

“I don’t want them to train yet.” An old, tired smile crept onto the monk’s face. The kind that Inuyasha had always been annoyed to see, back in the days of their travels, because of the true feelings that he’d always hidden behind it. “They shouldn’t have to see what we have seen.” 

“They will, though.” Nodding his head towards Minako, Inuyasha said, “Even with this one. If she ever leaves the village, she’ll notice how people treat me versus her mom. Your kids have already seen what Sango and Kohaku do. Shit’s much better than it used to be, but the world’s not that much of a friendly place. Better to learn that young, in my opinion--” 

Miroku didn’t respond; Inuyasha’s brain finally caught up to the possibility that such a speech wasn’t the best way to comfort the monk while his wife lay in a spiritual coma. Awkwardly, he searched for another topic to deflect towards. He landed on an old favorite: complaining. “Speaking of unfriendly, what’d that stranger kid tell you about their rice goddess?” 

“He asked her to sacrifice herself, to stop a monster that is terrorizing his village.” Shaking his head, the monk brought Minako to rest against one side of his chest. Her fingers prodded the folds in his robe lazily. “Now she’s disappeared.”

“Maybe it’s not all bad for some of ‘em to disappear,” Inuyasha sighed, crossing both arms. He made a mental disclaimer that he was talking about Sesshomaru’s problem, not the fire gods whose blessings still protected the village. “Kinda dark thing to ask, though. I can’t believe Kohaku’s still nice to him after hearing that.” 

Voice dropping to a whisper, Miroku added, “I think he’s fond of him.”

Inuyasha’s eyes widened to a comical size. “Eh? Whaddaya mean?” 

“When I saw them together, he kept sneaking little glances at him and blushing.” He shrugged. “Perhaps on his first trip to the fishing town, they became close.” 

“But that don’t make sense!” Inuyasha snapped, ignoring Miroku’s gestures to quiet down. “Kohaku’s just a kid!” 

“Inuyasha, he’s seventeen. Much old enough to feel the tempting siren’s call of love.” From the scandalized look on the hanyou’s face, it would be best not to remind him that Sango had married Miroku herself at an even younger age. “It’s just unlucky that it’s directed towards someone who could potentially be nefarious.” 

The hanyou’s jaw clicked as he nodded. Then Inuyasha whirled around, hissing towards where Sango slept in the corner. “Hey, Sango! The sky must be fallin’, cause yer brother’s got a crush! Better wake up if you want the details!” 

When she remained motionless, he deflated. “Was worth a shot...anyway, if he does have some kind of feelings for that kid, then that doesn’t mean  _ I’m _ gonna go easy on ‘em.” 

“I would never expect you to,” Miroku replied. Minako gave a little hiccup, and he used the corner of his sleeve to wipe her mouth. It had been two years since he’d had a very young baby to look after, but it all came back so easily. “Do you think Sango will be alright?” 

Inuyasha’s head reared back at the sudden shift in topic. “No shit, she will! Sango’s stronger than most humans; and she’s dealt with all kinds of crazy things. Somethin’ like this only got her down because she was tired.” Reaching over to take his daughter back into his arms, he added, “Not that I like how it went down, but she deserves a break.” 

“A break,” Miroku repeated thoughtfully. “Perhaps that’s how I’ll frame it to Mushin, Keiko, and Emi.” 

“Of course, I doubt she’s actually relaxing.” As soon as Minako curled up against his chest, Inuyasha felt the tension in his shoulders ease. Resting his chin on top of her head, he muttered, “Wherever her brain  _ thinks _ she is right now, she’s probably kicking someone’s ass...”

* * *

Cold dirt against her face was grounding enough to bring Sango back to reality. Or at least, whatever version of reality could be experienced by the soul outside of her body. The memory she’d been re-experiencing--holding a possessed Kohaku still against the forest floor while holding her sword above him, the determination to end things only stilled by Inuyasha’s claw on her arm--faded away. When she sat up, the haze of the red fog seemed to have gotten thicker as it wove around her, and the shouts of yokai had quieted. 

The difficult memories were getting easier to move through, to Sango’s relief; all she really had to do was remind herself of how things had ended, and the false world would fall apart around her like scenery in a traveling play. To her discomfort, it was happier memories that trapped her for much longer. 

Twisting around, she noted with pride that the shallow scratch in the ground was still there. After who knew how many hours of walking, she’d decided to dig her heel into the ground and drag it along. After a test run, she’d noted that the mark remained even after falling into dreams, and at least this way she wouldn’t be going in circles. 

She’d uncovered another helpful clue, too--the most exciting, yet. Squinting into the depths of red, she could just make out a thread-like gleam of gold. It was this gleam that she kept heading towards, be it a structure or a door or a natural landmark. 

Whatever it was, Sango was determined to try anything. Just as long as she could escape…

Her children’s faces flashed in her mind, bringing with them an overwhelming surge of panic. Before she knew it, the red was fading, quickly replaced with wooden walls riddled with candle-lit shadows. 

An urgent voice said her name. Startled, Sango looked down to see Kaede crouched on the floor, a clean rag stretched widely over her lap. She herself was pressed against Kagome’s side, one shoulder bracing her armpit so that her grip could hook around the young priestess’ waist. Rin was on the other side, ponytail bobbing as she struggled to maintain balance. Kagome turned to lock eyes with her; strands of hair stuck to her sweat-covered forehead, and Sango’s stomach churned at how pale she was. 

“It’s not time yet,” Kagome wailed, hand shaking where her nails dug into Sango’s back. “I’m supposed to go through the well, to a real  _ hospital--” _

__ The priestess’s hips spasmed, and her cries drowned out Kaede and Rin’s chants of support and comfort. Sango realized that Inuyasha wouldn’t have gone too far, would know exactly how scared and in pain his wife was. 

“You have to push,” Kaede started, but Kagome shook her head hard. 

“I can’t, I--I want my mom.” 

A jolt of protectiveness sparked through Sango’s blood; as easily as she’d ever wielded a weapon, she tightened her grip and shifted her stance. Rin breathed out in relief as the weight on her shoulders eased slightly. 

“Kagome,” Sango said, voice wavering on the thin line between demanding and coaxing, “You can do this.” 

“What if I can’t,” her best friend replied, clenching her teeth as another spasm rocked through her body. “What if something’s wrong, what if it’s not--”

“I won’t let anything bad happen to you.” She hadn’t had her mother either, hadn’t had Kagome to encourage her to do her best. But if Sango was strong, then she was in awe of Kagome. “Do as Kaede says. It’ll feel better, I promise.” 

Lip quivering, Kagome locked eyes with her again. Sango’s heart shuddered as she recognized the look:  _ I’m tired, but I’m ready. _ The wide, proud smile that crossed the taijiya’s face couldn’t have been fought back. “Let’s welcome your child into the world, Kagome.” 

It took a few moments after her best friend’s voice disappeared for Sango to open her eyes again. She registered with a strange detachment that her back stung, as though someone had been dragging their nails across her skin. It didn’t stop her from rolling over to take a moment of rest. 

Chewing the inside of her cheek, she wondered if the purpose of this realm was punishment. To feel good, only to be reminded that those times had passed and might never be had again. Perhaps she was just wasting time, trying so hard to break out of it when there was no way to know if she was making any true progress. 

But no,  _ no,  _ she couldn’t think like that. She had her friends and family waiting for her. She  _ would  _ have more good memories to make. Maybe she just had to try harder to control what memories came up, train herself to pull out of them instead of falling under their spell. 

A soft noise, unlike the voices of yokai, reached her ears and she sat straight upright. 

“Hello?”

Staring into the fog, she saw nothing but red and a faint gleam of gold. Straining to listen didn’t bring the noise--a voice? A cry?--back. 

After a long moment, Sango glanced back behind her to check that the trail was still there. Then she continued to move forward. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Everybody has a plan (except Kagura let's be honest), but few actually manage to make it work.


	10. Chapter Ten

Kagura knew she should head back. Sesshomaru had probably gotten all the information he needed from Rin, and it wasn’t good for him and Inuyasha to be together for too long. But every time she told herself to stand, her body refused. 

Flopping back into the grass, she cursed loudly just to break through the quiet. What about it all was so difficult? 

_ Why not just go tell him off? It’s not like I have anything to feel guilty about.  _

_ He shouldn’t have asked like that in the first place.  _

Wind brushed against her cheeks, but Kagura ignored it. Pulling her fan free, she shielded both eyes from the glare of the sun. 

The motion dragged one sleeve down a few inches, displaying the constellation of white scars marking her forearm. Kagura narrowed her eyes at them.

The first try with the cup had made her seem rather weak—all four limbs twisting uncontrollably, her tongue only capable of harsh curses as the burn spread. Sesshomaru had watched silently until, after what seemed like eternity, he’d practically shoved the cup against her lips in a silent order to drink.  The stain on the floor from her mouthful of poison was still there, even today.

Perhaps she was getting soft for such things to make her nostalgic. 

Afterwards, she’d curled up in a ball against his side for at least twenty minutes to recover. So much fuss for a single venomous scratch! But he must have felt guilty for it, with the way his hand kept settling against her forehead to check it’s temperature. 

And from that time on, Kagura was addicted to the smug sense of accomplishment that came in the aftermath. Her survival, her _gain,_ was his loss, yet he allowed it.  The game had been that, with time, the gap between them would shorten, simply because she desired it to be so. 

Was there ever a clearer declaration of her intentions? 

Self-sufficiency was almost as delicious as the awe caught in Sesshomaru’s eyes—it was something so few creatures had ever earned. Yet Kagura won that reverence with every session, tacking second after second onto her record. 

_ Someday I’ll be immune,  _ she’d teased him,  _ and you’ll have no reason to fawn over me. I might just miss it... _

The triumph of the memory slid away, mirroring the sun’s jump behind a cloud; Kagura let her arm fall with a snort.

The idea itself to train her tolerance hadn’t been stupid; the risk had been his, for removing an invaluable defense. Just as his mother had implied. But now she felt petty regret for suggesting it, if his only reasons for agreeing were rooted in securing a bride. 

After all, Sesshomaru didn’t do anything simply to indulge another person. Affection had temporarily blinded her to that little fact. Perhaps every moment of uncharacteristic gentleness had only been to soften her, for the inevitable moment where she had to pay back in return. Or it was even simpler than that: their dalliance had always been temporary, until necessity intervened and he’d simply had to make do with what (who) he had. 

If anyone were here to witness her pessimism (especially Rin or Kagome) they'd certainly argue with her over it. But Kagura didn't know what else to think. It couldn’t be possible, after all, that he genuinely wanted this…

Kagura was who she was. And, despite his many failings, Sesshomaru wasn't stupid enough to forget _that_. 

* * *

This was his uncle’s body, Shinjiro thought. Laid out in the forest, surrounded by dead yokai. This was reality, and no matter how long he stood frozen it wouldn’t change. 

The brief, guilty sting of relief was quickly smothered with hurt. Despite the bad times--hiding from the man’s fists or weapon or words--there had been good moments, too. His uncle had been the only parent that Shinjiro had known for most of his life; grief felt too expected to deny. 

A blade in the chest...it shouldn’t have come to that. Not after all the village had been through, and everyone else they had lost. As though another controlled his limbs, Shinjiro found himself kicking the bodies of the dead beasts, curses he’d never said before pouring from his lips. 

Kohaku, nonjudgmental as ever, waited silently until Shinjiro calmed down. The sun dipped in the sky as they made their way back; it only struck the younger boy as they were trudging past the village wall again to wonder if the taijiya had found any clues. In his storm of feelings, the whole point of their trek had entirely lost his attention; Shinjiro’s ears burnt with embarrassment. What a burden he was, how many poor decisions he made, Kohaku would certainly be reaching the limits of compassion soon...

Grief-induced exhaustion tangled like fishing lines around each ankle. He stumbled. Just as he was trying to find an excuse to separate himself from the other boy--any excuse, just for a moment to clear his head--the hanyou from before was bearing down on them. 

“You guys have been gone for ages, dammit!” Inuyasha’s gold eyes were dark with frustration; it impressed and worried Shinjiro how easily Kohaku’s own gaze met them. “Come on, we’re discussing this  _ now _ .” 

A clawed hand gripped his arm hard, dragging him along. In a flash, Shinjiro found Kohaku and himself surrounded. Out of the circle of faces, Inuyasha and Kohaku’s brother-in-law were the only ones he recognized. The rest of the group was made up of an old woman and her young apprentice; a woman with a fussing baby seated in her lap; and, most terrifying of all, a stone-faced yokai with a sword, flanked by a frowning green kappa. 

The others spoke, and Kohaku responded, yet none of it seemed to reach Shinjiro. He had the strangest sense of being held underwater; when he looked down, his hands were shaking. Was it the stress of all that had happened in the past few days? Or the distinct feeling that something else was about to happen? 

“So?” Inuyasha leaned in, face painted in a snarl. Every other face in the circle stared at Shinjiro--except for Kohaku, whose eyes were glued to the floor. “Did your uncle tell you to distract us so he could go after Sango?” 

“N-no,” Shinjiro stammered, before the accusation fully solidified in his mind. Hands pressing into his knees, he answered more forcefully, “ _ No,  _ of course not! She helped us, so how could I do something like that? _ ” _

Sharp admonishments rang in his ear, the ghost of his uncle’s voice-- _ after what you said about the goddess, why are you surprised that they suspect you?  _

The frightening yokai with the fur draped over his shoulder spoke next. “What was your uncle’s business with Okkoto’s tribe?” 

“I don’t know who that is!” Unfortunately, his incredulity only seemed to encourage the suspicion in the faces around him. “Why would I be so cruel to someone so important to Kohaku?”

Inuyasha and Miroku shared a look. Before Shinjiro could consider what it meant, the lady with the baby in her lap leaned forward.

“Shinjiro, we’re very worried about our friend. She’s not just hurt physically, but spiritually. Please, anything you can tell us would be helpful.” 

“I don’t have anything to tell. I only met her once,” he tried to explain. “She went to the other village across the river to exterminate the rats. My uncle even said she did a good job; I’m just as confused as you are why he hurt her.” 

“Which is why I think that I should go to his village,” Kohaku said finally, arms crossed. The apprentice girl sitting beside him frowned, her expression echoed by many in the group. But Kohaku continued, “Something must have happened after Shinjiro left to make his uncle decide to hurt Sango. I need to find out what.” 

Miroku nodded slowly. When he spoke, his tone was absurdly calm. “What if they decide to hurt you, too?” 

“I won’t let them,” Shinjiro found himself saying. Everyone looked at him in surprise, Kohaku most of all. Well, not  _ everyone-- _ the frightening yokai seemed bored, of all things. 

“If your village turned on you,” Miroku pointed out, “could you really stop them?” 

“I can defend myself,” Kohaku interrupted, before Shinjiro could even answer. “And Kilala can come too. If she’s willing to leave Sango’s side.” 

Inuyasha sighed dramatically, before turning to the woman next to him as though waiting for her opinion. Shinjiro realized with a start that she must be his wife. 

“It would help us find out what she was talking about earlier,” the woman said, placing a hand on the hanyou’s knee. “Something that was by the river...” 

“And if we find out how her soul was stolen, then we can figure out how to put it back.” Kohaku bowed his head low. “Please, allow me to do this for my sister.” 

“Ugh,  _ fine.”  _ Inuyasha nodded towards Miroku. “You good with this?”

“There’s not much of a choice.” The monk cast a long look over Shinjiro, making the boy feel slightly queasy. Suddenly, the kappa leapt to his feet, waving both arms. 

“What about Lord Sesshomaru’s questions?! Okkoto’s men attacked the taijiya as well, not too far from your village! Does that not worry you?!” 

The old priestess spoke for the first time. “Perhaps then you should go with Kohaku and his companion, and see what--if anything--they have to do with it.”

“That’s not a bad idea, Kaede,” the young woman hummed. 

“Sesshomaru, didn’t you say the ol’ boar’s been attacking villages? Maybe he got to those fishing towns, too. They could point ya in the direction he went next.” Inuyasha addressed the full yokai with much less grace than Shinjiro would have expected; but from their mutual expressions of disdain, it didn’t seem like the two were friends…

“Indeed! Leave this to me and Ah-Un, Lord Sesshomaru!” Puffing his chest out dramatically, Jaken rattled on. “We will investigate with the utmost discretion, and rip the rug right out from under Okkoto once I have discovered what he has been planning--” 

“Very well. I will return home to collect our troops and await your report.” 

The Lord’s expression was as smooth as the flat of a blade. Shinjiro felt he must have missed something, for the way everyone in the group threw meaningful looks at one another. Kohaku’s hand landed on his arm, jostling him gently. 

“We should head out before it gets dark. I don’t want to waste any time.” 

Nodding, he turned to bow at the members of the group, only to see that most of them had already stood to leave. Only the apprentice met his eye, her young face curved into a smile. 

“I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Rin.”

Awkwardly, he bobbed his head. “Shinjiro.” 

“Take good care of Kohaku on your travels.” Her voice folded in on itself in layers; the image of the ichiyo cherry blossoms that bloomed across the river popped into his head. “It would be great if he’s back before Sango wakes up.” 

Though her good attitude was carefree, he sensed something guarded. Did even she view him as suspicious? What a mess things were turning out to be...

Well, at least he would be home soon. Then he could start figuring out what to do with himself, now that his uncle was gone. And Kohaku had promised to help with Orochi. 

Things had to get better soon; after all, they couldn’t get much worse. 

* * *

“Big Brother, you should stay the night in the inn.” Kagome stifled a yawn that threatened to cut her next sentence in two. “We’ve all had a pretty crazy day, and I don’t want to send you off until you’ve rested.” 

He refrained from pointing out the obvious--with the fussing infant and Inuyasha’s fights with Shippo, sleep would hardly come easily. Not that it mattered; her true game was to give him an excuse to wait. The inhabitants of his brother’s village were often more focused on social drama than they were about actually important things. 

Sensing the impending rejection, Kagome hastened to add, “Minako’s staying with me in the healing hut tonight. She won’t bother you and Kagura.”

He wondered if she’d considered her husband’s opinion; no doubt Inuyasha would dislike it, even if it was only Sesshomaru himself that remained in his house. Though despite the tantrum it might incur, waiting until morning had merit--now that the goddesses were aware of the trouble Izuna was causing, perhaps they would send Rin a dream. He would hate to leave useful information behind. 

“I won’t stay past the next sunrise.” 

Kagome brightened as much as she could under the circumstances. “Oh, it wouldn’t be bad if you did! It’s been so long since you visited; I just wish the timing was better.” Switching her daughter’s weight onto her opposite hip, she sighed, “After all, you came all this way to tell us you were getting married…”

A lesser man would have choked in surprise. Still, he should have expected that. In the years they had known one another, Kagome had presented herself as both more cunning than he would have expected of a human woman, and (less fortunately) as a serious romantic.

“I am only here to investigate Okkoto’s business with the goddesses.” 

“Huh?” Kagome wondered if she was misunderstanding. Sure, Sesshomaru had displayed moments of impulsiveness before. But with the emotional currency that marriage involved, she didn’t think he was the type to bring it up without thinking it over for quite a while. Could it be that, to him, a proposal was more like checking off an item on the to-do-list? 

If that was the case, then she could see why Kagura had disappeared. 

“Hey, Big Brother--” Kagome leaned forward, only to freeze as Minako started to nose against her chest in search of food. Cheeks turning slightly red, she let whatever she was about to say fall away. “Um, sorry. I’ll come find you later.” 

“There is no need.” He didn’t need to be fawned over; this visit had never been social. “Tend to your young.” 

Despite the political embarrassment that came from having an entirely human child so close to his own family line, she certainly made a decent distraction. 

* * *

Sango flinched. “Don’t pull too hard.”

“My deepest apologies, dear wife.” Miroku’s voice was teasing, but she could hear the affection beneath his words and it sent her heart racing. They’d been married for three hours, and he’d made a point to call her his wife at least a dozen times since.

He made a soft ‘ah’ as he finally freed the last pin from her hair, letting it fall loose down her bare back. 

“A pity to have to deconstruct such a beautiful display.” Fingers carded gently through the strands, and Sango held her breath at the ghosting touch. “Lady Kaede certainly worked hard.”

“She doesn’t have any daughters,” Sango replied, unable to craft a finer explanation. Her new husband’s arms wrapped around her, pulling her back to rest against his chest. 

“It’s hard to believe it’s real,” He murmured, nuzzling the side of her face. 

Sango nodded. Allowing herself to relax into him still felt strange, like exercising a new set of muscles. At least the slight awkwardness was easily overtaken by excitement. “We’ve come a long way.” 

Miroku pressed a kiss to her shoulder, and the taijiya blushed. Instead of the expected seductive remark, however, the next words he spoke to her were those of concern: “Kohaku tells me that you still aren’t sleeping well. Has the wedding put too much pressure on you?”

Sango shook her head, twisting in his arms so they were face to face. There was no reason to worry him with tales of her persistent nightmares; it would just take time to shift out of the high-alert state she’d been in the past few years. If anything, the wedding had been a nice distraction. Especially for those of them that had taken Kagome’s disappearance the hardest…

No, Sango didn’t want to give precious time to grief. Their enemies were dead now, and they had survived; she had no reason to hold back anymore. 

“Everything’s fine. I’m tired, but happy.” Taking his right hand, she interlaced their fingers together and tried to sound romantic. “Perhaps I’ll sleep better from now on with you next to me.” 

It worked; joy sparkled in his eyes. “Oh, I imagine neither of us will get much rest for the next few nights...” 

The laugh was still halfway in her throat when she came to her senses. As comfort melted into disappointment, Sango exhaled sharply. How could this place keep using such precious memories against her? How could she keep falling for it? 

Hair fell in sweaty tangles around her shoulders as she sat up. The fingers that twisted it up into a ponytail were sluggish, as though she was wading through water. Her mind, however, raced anxiously.

If she really thought about it (and she had, for what else was there to do?), being trapped here was a lot like those moments of panic that she used to have. Wanting  _ not  _ to think about something, yet being unable to stop. Lack of control had always frightened her, motivating Sango to fight against that which seemed set in stone. Yet she knew there was no way to prevent the dream-memories from taking over, the same way she’d never been able to push away a feeling. 

Why did she still feel like it was her fault? 

Both arms crossed over her abdomen, as though she was giving herself a hug. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Sango was a taijiya, the kind of person others looked to for protection. She was a mother, hell-bent on providing the best lives for her children. 

But someone she’d saved had then sent her to this place--that man that she’d killed. What kind of taijiya inspired such hatred? 

The fog swirled around in thickening clouds. But Sango didn’t notice, too caught up in the spiral of her own thinking. 

Maybe she wasn’t a good wife and mother after all. The kids had all been able to pick up on the tension after her fight with Miroku, and she could think of a few other incidents they’d witnessed that left her damage on display. She used to be so good at hiding her pain, when there had been no family or future to worry about. Back when she’d been a bad sister, unable to save her only brother, it had taken months for Miroku and Kagome and the rest to unearth the entire system of self-doubt inside her. 

She was supposed to have become stronger since then. But instead, Sango was a weak taijiya and a bad mother, and she deserved the punishment that she’d got--

_ Stop.  _ The voice was clear enough to have been spoken aloud, instead of being just inside her head.  _ Don’t do that.  _

Tightening the arms wrapped around her own body, Sango forced herself to breathe in. When her lungs were full, she held it, counting to ten. The sea of red surrounding her thinned with each moment her lungs held still. 

Then, just as she exhaled in a  _ whoosh,  _ the sliver of gold burst through, shining bright in a path directly in front of her.  __

* * *

It was good that Kagura wasn’t sleeping when the shadow passed over, or she might have missed it entirely. 

Kilala, moving at an urgent pace, made a gold and orange smudge in the sky above. Astride her back, Kagura could see a dark-clothed figure that must be Kohaku--the person sitting behind him, arms wrapped around the taijiya’s waist, was a stranger. Curiosity thoroughly piqued, she sat up for a better look. 

The green and brown creature hanging off the back of the demon cat’s tail made her laugh sharply. Even from the ground, Jaken’s screeching was unmistakable. 

“What in the hell is he doing with Kohaku…” Had Sesshomaru sent the taijiya on a task, despite his sister’s current state? But if so, who was the person with him, and where were they supposed to be going? 

Folding her fan shut with the flick of her wrist, Kagura took a second to consider her options and the consequences of them. 

Then she broke apart into a gust of air to follow her old friend into the distance. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Kohaku and Kagura get a chat in, Shippo makes his feelings known about being absent from the chapter, and another's plan is thrown into the mix.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the wait. Hope the chapter is worth it.

“Sir.” Ikue bowed her head as she entered Okkoto’s tent. Now that they’d delivered the message to the humans that more sacrifices would be expected, her leader’s mood had considerably brightened. Hopefully, her news wouldn’t change that. “We’ve received word that Lord Sesshomaru is in his half-brother’s territory, not too far from here. You and Taichi should head for the border right away. The daiyokai of the Eastern lands will--”

“We can’t leave now,” Okkoto interrupted with a chuckle. The apples sat in his lap, rubescent orbs making a stark contrast to the dark cloth of his robes. “We must complete the rituals first! Besides, we’ve been scattering our scent." 

“He has allies and spies in this area, same as us.” Ikue’s heart sank. In truth, she had been preparing for this situation for a long time--ever since the day that an infant Taichi’s fever had broken, and his health had been attributed to the gods. Not to say she didn’t believe it was true, but Ikue also knew that fate was often fickle. Tempting it risked becoming a legend in all the wrong ways. “I’m sure the goddess will accept the offerings if it is merely our soldiers who perform them. And we can more than handle the humans if they attempt to break our hold.” 

“Ikue.” Okkoto gestured for her to come closer. “Your goddess sent us here for a reason. These river towns must be important in our strategy. I will not let him regain control of it.” 

_Important, my left tusk,_ she thought bitterly. _They have little food, and the people are the most easily frightened and pathetic humans I’ve ever seen._

“What about the jar,” she tried, leaning as close as possible without risking physical contact if her leader’s temper overtook him. “If the God-killer comes to fight you, and it’s broken in the struggle, then your goddess will be angry.”

That, at least, seemed to give him pause. Ikue took the lines in his brow as an opportunity to continue. “There is a valley, a few days' travel from here. Our people have held control over it for years, in secret, to keep track of the God-killer’s whereabouts. You and Taichi can take the jar there, just until we know more information about his plans.”

Okkoto snorted, crossing his arms. 

“You can show him how to pray and practice the rites,” Ikue tried, resisting the urge to shake him. “We’ll complete the sacrifice and await further instruction.” 

After a short silence, the leader deflated. “General Ikue, I respect your opinion. It’s just...that many days alone with Taichi? I’m not a young boar, and his antics are graying my bristles faster than leaves fall from the trees in winter.”

The stress must have shown on her face, because he quickly added, “However, you are right that we cannot allow the leadership of the tribe, nor the goddess’ weapon, to be put at risk. With divinity on your side, there is no question that you will succeed.” 

Ikue bowed her head. “I’ll pray for you.” _And for Taichi._

_Please, goddess, don’t let them kill each other...._

* * *

“We must stop!” Jaken shrieked. Both of his feet kicked uselessly in the air as they flew only higher. “Ah-Un has fallen behind!” 

Kohaku risked glancing back, teeth sinking into the inside of his cheek. It was obvious that Kilala was desperate for their quest to be over and done with, so she could get back to Sango’s side. Despite his sympathy for Ah-Un being reduced to following them, Kohaku couldn’t scold the nekotama for it. 

“Let’s break for the day,” he yelled over the wind, patting the side of Kilala’s neck. “It’ll be dark soon, anyway...” 

“I think we should stop, too.” Shinjiro’s arms tightened around the taijiya’s waist. To Kohaku’s surprise, the other boy had taken to the flight fairly well, even helping to direct their path instead of closing his eyes in fear. “I think it’s supposed to storm tonight.” 

“Agh!” As they descended, Jaken’s noise became even more dissonant. “Be careful! Okkoto’s troops could be anywhere!” 

“Then maybe you should stop being so loud,” Kohaku muttered under his breath. Kilala growled in agreement. Not for the first time in the past few hours, Kohaku wished that there’d been a reason to bring Rin with them. Not only was she excellent at handling Jaken, but they’d barely gotten to talk since he’d returned from his last slaying trip. In his opinion, the two of them had that special kind of friendship where it was easy to talk about difficult things with one another; he felt sorely in need of that right now, with everything going on. 

_But she needs to stay in the village and help take care of Sango..._

Kilala’s landing was less graceful than usual, thanks to Jaken’s weight on her tail; they crashed into a thick patch of trees with bark that looked painfully dry, sending a cloud of branches and leaves raining into the ground after them. After checking that Kilala was uninjured, Kohaku helped Shinjiro off the nekotama’s back. 

“Are you okay? Sometimes people can feel sick after riding her for the first time.” 

The other boy shook his head. “I feel fine.” 

“I’m fine too, not that anyone cares!” Inspecting his staff for damage, Jaken muttered under his breath, “Though Lord Sesshomaru would have made the trip much smoother…” 

“It looks pretty dry here. Let’s try to find someplace closer to a water source.” Rolling his shoulders out, Kohaku sighed, “But Jaken was right about Okkoto’s tribe; it’s possible they’re nearby, so we should stick together as much as we can, in case we need a quick exit.”   
After a moment, he turned to Shinjiro. “Do you have any weapons on you?”

The other boy shook his head. Kohaku unhooked a small knife from the inside of his left boot, warning him, “It’s my last one, so just make sure you don’t lose it, okay?”

“Thank you.” Shinjiro smiled, and despite the dark circles under his eyes and remnants of grief in his expression, Kohaku blushed all the same. 

Jaken watched the two of them speak with a frown. _How could that silly young human have made it all the way to Kaede’s village unarmed? Any yokai would jump at the chance to eat him. And his uncle is the one that attacked the halfbreed’s comrade in the first place! It’s ridiculous…oh, why did I ever suggest this to Lord Sesshomaru?_

* * *

Night was almost at hand. He’d sent Jaken and Ah-Un off with Kohaku and the human villager; Rin had shut herself away with the priestesses and monks to perform spiritual experiments on Sango; and his brother had taken off on some other (most likely meaningless) errand. 

Kagura had not yet returned. 

In the end, he returned to the inn where he would be staying for the night; Kagome’s offer to stay away was comforting, as it meant he could brood in peace. Though it was as yet unclear what Okkoto’s intentions were regarding the human villages and the taijiya’s situation, he had no doubt that the consequences would be swift and far-reaching. 

Perhaps even taking the time to return home as he planned would be a waste. Okkoto lacked prudence, a trait in which Sesshomaru himself was quite practiced. Tracking the unhinged boar leader as soon as the next morning arrived was perhaps the best option. 

Anyone left behind only had themselves to blame. After all, if Kagura preferred to run away, rather than tell Sesshomaru to his face that his offer was not attractive enough for her liking--well, then perhaps he had misjudged her character. It was a natural consequence of allowing feelings to play a part in a political decision. But, unpleasant as it was to acknowledge, such feelings were inextricable. 

Perhaps that was the problem. 

Perhaps, just as Okkoto’s former brilliance had been dulled by his adoration for his son, Sesshomaru had turned foolish. What if Kagura had no interest in being a bride to anyone, much less a Lord? Not to mention that simply desiring her to be by his side didn’t make her worthy of it. Had she changed, after all, from the time when--

Bakusaiga and Tensaiga’s voices rattled loudly to interrupt his train of thought. Together, they cautioned him against molding truths out of his fears. The way he had assumed the worst of his Father, thinking his inheritance a punishment that proved a lack of love, rather than a challenge to be met. 

_If you’re angry, be angry. If you’re worried, be worried._

_But don’t make the same mistakes as before._

After all, hadn’t she shown herself to be worthy? All those nights when she’d fought against his poison as it burned in her veins, only to crack both eyes open hours later and _smile._ Even as the servants buzzed about her presence in his castle, she had forged a place for herself that remained steady, even when she was traveling. And no matter how long each trip had taken, she’d always returned to him, though carrying some foolish trinket. 

Whether Kagura realized it or not, his home had become hers. It was only natural of him to want to make things formal. He, Sesshomaru, who had never considered such things a necessary use of his time, before. 

A quiet tapping on the door dragged him out of his thoughts. The scent was nervous, though not quite as insignificant as it had been in the years prior. The kitsune. 

“Enter.” 

Sliding the door open, Shippo poked his head in, staying half-way in the hall. “Hey, Lord Sesshomaru…can I ask you a question?” 

Though his voice shook, the youth’s expression was determined. It triggered something in Sesshomaru’s mind--perhaps a sense that he himself had carried, a long time ago, when his father’s approval had still been a worthy prize. Though he knew that Inuyasha complained frequently about Shippo’s childishness, the group as a whole seemed to view him as a valued comrade. “Be quick about it.” 

“Rin told me that you’re fighting with some boar yokai named Okkoto?” Clenching both hands into fists, the kitsune shouted with surprising volume, “ _I hate that guy so much!_ ” 

Sesshomaru was thankful for the many decades of practice he had in keeping himself composed. _What…_

“Before I was born, there were a bunch of kitsune colonies that roamed around here, and he broke them up. My father used to talk about it, and how kitsune were much safer from other yokai when they lived in groups like that.” Shippo struggled to control the sadness that threatened to strangle his voice whenever he thought about his father. “Then that stupid Okkoto came and ruined everything!” 

“I see.”

Fuming, Shippo took a step further into the room; gnashing his teeth, he shouted, “I _tried_ to tell Inuyasha, but all he wants me to do is babysit all the time! He’s so stupid, if he’d let me be in the big meeting with you guys then I could have told you sooner!” It was completely hypocritical, how the hanyou kept trying to lock him out of anything important. All his attention went to taking care of Minako, or acting like Shippo was a silly little kid. But if he wasn’t going to play fair, then Shippo wasn’t either--even if it meant leaving the village. “I’m _not_ a baby, I’ve helped defeat all kinds of bad guys! I can help you defeat Okkoto!” 

It was true that his usual crew of companions--Rin, Kohaku, Ah-Un, and even Jaken--had temporarily deserted him. And, if he was being completely honest, Sesshomaru was curious to see how taking Shippo up on his offer would drive Inuyasha even more crazy than he usually was. Still, exactly what use could the kitsune be in a serious situation such as this? 

“Please, Lord Sesshomaru?” Shippo shuffled forward so he could bow. He only shook a little bit. “Sango’s in trouble, and no one else will let me help.” 

“What is it that you think you could offer me?” 

As his forehead was pressed to the ground, Shippo’s answer was muffled. “Okkoto’s really into gods now, right? If we find him, I have an idea for how we can get him to give you the jar.” 

It was a really good idea, too, the kind that Miroku and Kagome would have congratulated him for. Too bad that Inuyasha had to be such a jerk, because now they wouldn’t get to hear about it until it was too late!

Internally, Sesshomaru wondered what it was about pathetic but brave creatures that seemed to consistently draw his interest, despite all his better judgments. “I’m leaving in the morning. Be ready, unless you want to be left behind.” 

* * *

The group had just come across a shallow creek cutting through a copse of trees, when a large shadow came over them. It’s size was made even more ominous silhouetted by the orange glow of the setting sun. Instinctively, Kohaku crouched down; one hand flew to his kusarigama. Kilala bared her teeth, mirroring Kohaku’s position as Shinjiro ducked behind her with a pale face. Only Jaken stood tall, waving both claws. 

“Ah-Un! You found us!” 

The two-headed dragon settled on the ground with a calm expression; the scales along their body glistened, even in the rapidly fading light. Shinjiro stared at the creature in awe.

“They must have been searching for water as well!” Jaken clapped in excitement. “See what _useful_ companions can--” 

A large black paw swept his feet out from under him, sending him tumbling into the dirt. Kohaku stroked Kilala’s head a few times in comfort before reaching out to pet Un’s snout. “It’s good to see you, old friend.” 

By the time they’d made a fire and settled among the trees, the sky had gone from orange to dark blue, sliced into pieces with tree branches. Dinner passed with little conversation, thanks to the weight of their quest and meager offerings they’d managed to scrounge up. Kohaku took the first watch without discussion. With his back warmly pressed against Ah-Un’s side, he waited for the others to fall asleep.

_We’ll be at the village tomorrow. And then we’ll get answers, so we can help Sango. I’ll kill Orochi for the villagers, too, and then everything will be fine._

He tucked his shaking hands under his knees, breathing out softly. _It’ll be_ **_fine_ ** _._

“Well.” The air beside him suddenly materialized into fabric and skin and bone. For a moment, it seemed to be merely a trick of the dying firelight. “You’re all quite a boring group to spy on.” 

Somehow, he wasn’t surprised to see her at all. “What are you doing here, Kagura?” 

“I think that your reasons are far more interesting than mine.” Crossing her legs so that her knee bumped his side, the wind witch smirked. “I had to wait quite a while to get you alone, so tell me. What’s going on?” 

“Sango’s soul is stuck in another realm.” It felt like he was talking around a fish bone that had caught in his throat. “A man from the last village we worked in did it, somehow.” 

Kagura nodded. “The one with the interesting sword.” 

“Yes. The boy over there is his nephew; there’s all kinds of trouble going on with their village. A snake that steals women away, a missing rice goddess…”

Kagura’s brow knit together, but when Kohaku paused, she didn’t fill the space with any words. Petrichor filled the air around them, so thick he could practically taste it on his tongue. 

“It may be connected to Lord Sesshomaru as well,” he added finally. “So we--Jaken, Ah-Un, Kilala, Shinjiro and I--are going to the village to try and find out how we can get Sango’s soul back.” 

“Quite a complicated little mystery.” Her eyes were sharp, even in the dark. A muted snuffle from behind them dragged out the silence for a few moments more. “Shinjiro, huh?” 

Blushing, Kohaku twisted away to put a few inches of space between them. “I don’t know what you--”

“Cut it out. Who you like isn’t that important to me. I’ve got bigger problems, you know.” From the tension in her jaw, perhaps that was true. After a moment, the corner of her lips lifted. “Seems kind of mopey, though. I didn’t think _that_ was your type.”

“Kagura--”

“He just wanders around after you like a gloomy little rain-cloud. I imagine it’s the eyes that got you, those at least are quite pretty--” 

“Stooooop,” he groaned, well-aware that he sounded like a bashful child. Kagura chuckled; Kohaku felt a wisp of air glance off of his bangs. 

“Do you actually like him, Kohaku, or does it just make you feel good to always be someone’s hero?” 

At once, a bad taste filled his mouth. Kagura’s smile remained, but the mirth in her eyes was gone, replaced with a discouragement that he recognized all too well. Back when their master was still alive, and death had seemed insurmountable. 

She uncrossed her legs and drew both knees up to her chest, in a position that matched his own. Both arms wrapped around them, hands tightening until the knuckles went white. 

“Sesshomaru asked me to rule with him.” 

Kohaku paused to process that; it was somehow both glaringly obvious ( _their relationship had to come to this point eventually)_ and a total shock ( _he actually_ **_asked_ ** _her?!)_ Which, of course, was why Kagura had come to tell him. “And so you’re avoiding him now?” 

“He’s an idiot to even think about it,” she snapped. “As if someone like me could ever do that, without fucking it all up…”

“He wasn’t the right person for the role either. At least not at first,” Kohaku pointed out, finding a strange amusement in how quickly Kagura’s head snapped over to one side to stare at him for saying so. “That’s why his father split up the swords, wasn’t it? Because he wasn’t ready yet?” 

“That’s different.” Shaking her head, she muttered, “If Jaken was awake to hear you say that, he’d take that stupid stick and beat you with it…” 

“I’m just saying that it wasn’t being a daiyokai’s son that made him ready to be a Lord.” Sesshomaru had earned the title only after finding value in human life, and learning the consequences of shirking responsibility in favor of self-aggrandizement. Kagura’s own capabilities had also grown over the years, in Kohaku’s eyes; being Naraku’s incarnation was far from everything that she was. “Why would he ask you if he thought that you would mess it up?” 

“Because he’s lost his mind.” With a dejected sigh, she added, “And because he’s desperate. The business with that boar tribe is really freaking him out, and he’s panicking because he doesn’t have anyone to take over if he dies.” 

“What about Inuyasha?” 

“Can you _imagine--”_ Kagura slapped a hand over her own mouth to cut off the laugh. They waited a tense moment to see if Kohaku’s comrades had awoken. When there was nothing but the expected nocturnal noises, she peeled her hand away and hissed in a much quieter voice, “You and I both know he’d never denigrate himself enough to ask. Not that Inuyasha would ever accept such an offer, anyway.”

Kohaku didn’t know if he quite agreed with that notion; Inuyasha certainly didn’t care much for Sesshomaru, but he wouldn’t leave the Western Lands to burn if it came down to it. 

“I can’t believe I’m the first choice,” Kagura continued, shaking her head again. “I couldn’t even survive Naraku on my own.” 

A faint suspicion needled at the edge of his brain. Kohaku decided to give voice to it anyway, not that he had any clue whether her response would be truthful or not. “Kagura. Is it that you don’t _want_ to be at his side, or do you think you can’t?” 

Above them, the tree branches looked like lace stretched out over the dark blue of the night sky. Braced against Kohaku’s body, Ah-Un made a rumbled noise in his sleep. 

The wind witch rolled her eyes. “What a stupid question.” 

“That’s not an answer.” Well, perhaps it was. “You know, there was a time when I thought I’d never be a taijiya again. I mean, how would anyone accept me after all the horrible things I’d done? I killed my own father...I thought there was no way I’d survive after that. But somehow, things worked out.” 

“Did they now?” She nodded her head towards the dying embers of the fire behind them. Kohaku let the harsh implication glance off him, like it was just another harmless gust of wind. 

“It seems like a pretty complicated situation, so I don’t really know what to say. All I know is that if you keep your distance from Lord Sesshomaru for too long, then you might regret it.” 

A long sigh left her lips, as the wind witch rested her chin on the tops of her knees.“Yeah, he’s pretty impatient. Probably thinks I ran off and left him for good.” After a moment, her tone flattened. “If you happen to see Okkoto and his soldiers, be smart and keep your distance. He’s dumb, but violent.” 

“I’m a taijiya.” Staring out into the dark, Kohaku thought of Sango, unconscious and at the mercy of some unknown fate. “If there’s a demon threatening humans, then it’s my responsibility to stop him.” 

“It’s _Sesshomaru’s_ responsibility, stupid. Plus he’s got a divine instrument on his side, and you’re dragging a bunch of dead weight.” Whether it was Jaken or Shinjiro that she was referring to was anybody’s guess. “You should focus on this snake demon or whatever.” 

He couldn’t help but smile a little. “Are you worried about me, Kagura?” 

She huffed, throwing both shoulders back. “Don’t flatter yourself.” 

“We’ll be fine. I’ll come to tell you the whole story when it’s done with.” Despite the gravity of their situations, he couldn’t help but take the opportunity to poke a little fun. “If you have the time--I’m sure a daiyokai’s bride gets quite busy.” 

“You’re so annoying.” Rising to her feet, Kagura threw him an unamused look. It only lasted a moment before her trademark smirk replaced it. “I’ll forgive you, so long as you promise that you won’t run off to live with that little rain-cloud. It won’t be fun if I have to travel this far just to tease you. Besides, Rin would be devastated, and upsetting her puts Sesshomaru in a temper that even I can’t fix.” 

Before he could ponder what she meant by that, she was gone, her voice replaced with the rumbling of a nearby storm. 

* * *

_No doubt he’ll be annoyed if you don’t give him an answer…_

_But then, he’s often annoyed._

Fighting against the harsh pull of an opposing wind, Kagura pushed on in the direction from which she’d come. Back to where Sesshomaru was. So what if things were complicated? Over the past nine months, she’d gotten used to sleeping at his side, or else waiting for him to come home. 

For much of Kagura’s existence, sleep had been merely a way to escape the reality of things; now, having a warm body merely a breath away was a luxury she was loath to give up. Especially when his head would incline the slightest bit towards hers, and though he’d never say it, she would know his intention was to listen more carefully for the steady beating of her heart. 

She didn’t want to _reject_ him, really. It was just so ridiculous, the plan he had for them. She wasn’t capable of it, and forcing her to admit that was quite cruel. But Kagura would be damned if she let Sesshomaru think that she simply didn’t want him anymore--

Suddenly, she froze. It was as though puppet strings had unraveled from the clouds, twisting around her incorporeal form to hold it fast. A flash of memory at the sensation-- _Naraku’s control, or that stupid fucking jar--_ sent her heart pounding in a rapid rhythm. Twisting did no good to get free, and winds batted harshly against her on all sides. 

“What the hell--” 

The bands of energy yanked hard, an invisible chain binding her. Then, with a scream, Kagura was dragged up into the sky.


	12. Chapter Twelve

“What did ya just say?” 

Shippo puffed out his chest, feeling a mixture of unease and pride at the shock on Inuyasha’s face. The hanyou had taken several wall-watching shifts in a row, and Shippo had woken up just in time to catch him returning from the last one. “After breakfast, I’m leaving with Sesshomaru. We’re going to defeat Okkoto together.” 

Two amber eyes, rimmed with dark circles, blinked slowly. Then one claw reached out to tap Shippo’s forehead. “Didja knock your head or something? You’re talking some nonsense...” 

“It’s true!” Batting the hand away, Shippo turned up his nose. “His friends all left, and _you_ won’t help. So he said I could go with him.” 

Inuyasha’s arm remained outstretched for a second, as though frozen in time. Then, the hanyou’s shoulders visibly tensed. A scowl replaced his confused expression. “What’re we supposed to do with the kids? Kagome’s got enough on her plate as it is, and Sango’s down for the count, in case you forgot!” 

Of course that was all dumb Inuyasha cared about. “Rin’s watched them tons of times--” 

“Rin’s helping Kagome,” Inuyasha interrupted, annoyance plain in his tone. “Leaving with Sesshomaru...geez, how stupid can you get?” 

“I’m not stupid! And I’m not just a dumb babysitter either!” Red-hot anger burst through him; if he was a dragon, he’d probably be breathing fire. “For years I’ve been taking care of everybody, from the kids to the grown-ups, same as you! I even got my second tail, much sooner than all the other kitsune. But you still treat me like I’m still a little kid!” 

“Sheesh...” Inuyasha’s lip curled as he flashed a fang. A hundred emotions crossed his face, but he didn’t say anything else. That only made the fire in Shippo burn even hotter. 

“And I took good care of the entire inn while you were gone last year, and you never even thanked me! The only people you’re nice to are Kagome and Minako, even though I’m supposed to be your family too.” He couldn’t help the wobbly note in his voice, even though it was way too babyish. “But you’re not my friend, you’re just a big jerk. And after I defeat Okkoto, you won’t be able to boss me around anymore.” 

“After you defeat---get your head on straight, already!” Frustration twisted Inuyasha’s face into a grimace. “This Okkoto guy isn’t some low-level demon, yaknow!”

“Duh.” Turning his back, Shippo tossed the final words over his shoulder. “I’ll come back to help Sango when it’s over.” 

“Are ya gonna get yourself killed trying to prove a fucking point?” Inuyasha yelled after him. When it was met with no response, he slammed one hand into the wall. The splintering of wood felt good, productive, despite the fact that he’d get in trouble for it later. There were just too many damn _feelings_ going on inside him right now, and he didn’t know how to talk about any of them without making everything worse--what was he supposed to say to Kagome? 

“With _Sesshomaru_ , of all people...” Digging his nails into the wood, Inuyasha muttered under his breath, “If anything happens to him, that bastard’s the one who’s going to get it.”

* * *

Her body materialized as Kagura hit the ground. The bonds released all at once, but her vision remained spotty. She took a gasping breath of air; reflexively, one arm slid between her body and the floor. Frantic pounding against her palm--okay, good, now to try and piece together where she’d been taken.

Pillars, stretching upwards into nothing. Blinking hard didn’t make them any less blindingly white. Turning her head sent an ache reverberating down her spine, and if the dull sting in her feet was any indication, a few of her earlier wounds had reopened again. 

Several feet in front of her: a sea of blue and green cushions. 

Crouched on top of them: a tall man. 

Cruel eyes, matching the deep frown that nearly disappeared beneath His black mustache. 

“Oh, you’ve got to be fucking _kidding_ me,” she croaked. 

The storm god, Susanoo, whose careless wager had won Kagura back her life, didn’t smile. “Hello, wind witch. I have summoned you for a divine task.” 

* * *

_She’s still not back._

He’d already wasted a few minutes gloomily staring out into the fields. The lack of a breeze, and the absence of Kagura’s scent, made it clear that she wasn’t simply spying on him. It was deeply annoying, the fact that she was making him wait this long. What was so difficult about simply saying no, if that was how she felt about it? He’d already accepted the possibility of humiliation, when he’d opened himself up to rejection in the first place. 

He’d rather have her here to argue about it, than have no answer at all. 

As the clouds in the sky shifted, a churning built up in his gut. What was it that she’d said before, as they’d made their way towards the village? _”What if the goddess and I had met in the valley while you were gone? If we’d fought, and I ended up back in one of those fucking jars...you wouldn’t have even known.”_

No. Nothing like that could have happened. 

She was just off somewhere, moping. Practicing how to unleash her rage on him. 

Yet the apprehension inside his chest only wound tighter and tighter, even as the kitsune behind him started to chatter. 

“Can you make it tighter, Kagome? I bet we’ll be going pretty fast!” 

Shippo bounced a bit on his heels. Though he was only a few paces behind the daiyokai, the man’s brooding escaped him. Likewise, with his back turned to Kagome, he couldn’t see the strained expression of worry on her face. 

“I just wish you’d talked to us about it before you decided to leave, Shippo,” she said for what had to be the third time. Despite the whining child strapped to her chest, all of the priestess’ attention was focused on stuffing even more trinkets into the brightly-colored sack hooked around Shippo’s shoulders. “Kohaku’s gone, and Sango’s sick...there’s a lot going on.” 

“That’s why I have to go,” Shippo interrupted cheerfully. “With Okkoto defeated, we’ll have one less thing that we have to worry about.” 

“I guess you’re right about that,” Kagome sighed. Sesshomaru turned to catch her eye over his shoulder. She managed a smile, hoping it communicated as clearly as possible how much of her trust was being tested at this moment. 

A bitter, aggressive scent flooded the daiyokai’s senses; with a flash of red, Inuyasha landed on all fours next to his wife with a loud thump. Shippo shrieked and whirled around, sending a few items falling out of his pack near Sesshomaru’s feet. 

“Ain’t gonna get that far, if you’re easily scared like that,” the hanyou snarked, though his tone was hollower than usual. 

“ _Inuyasha,”_ Kagome started, but Sesshomaru cut her off.

“You will keep a close eye on Rin.” 

“We always do,” came the huffed reply. 

Kagome patted the top of Shippo’s head softly before standing. One arm curved under the baby bundled against her chest, bouncing it slightly. “If we see Kagura, where should we tell her to look for you?” 

Sesshomaru warred between a few responses before settling on the most neutral option. “She can await my return at the estate.” 

Brown eyes narrowed slightly. “Are you sure--” she started, only to fall silent at the gentle touch of Inuyasha’s palm against the small of her back. 

Shippo held out both arms, visibly holding back his excitement in favor of false aloofness. “Kagome, if you really want, you can give me a hug goodbye.” 

“Of course I want!” With a watery smile, the priestess stooped back down to wrap both arms around her friend, squeezing him hard. “Be safe, okay?” 

“I will.” After a slight moment of hesitation, Shippo planted a kiss on Minako’s cheek as well. Inuyasha glared at Sesshomaru as though daring him to say something. 

Shippo twisted around, before turning to glance over his shoulder at the hanyou. Inuyasha made a show of checking under his claws for dirt for all of half a second, before letting his arms drop uselessly to his side. 

“Boars are slow--use your speed against ‘em.” Both ears drooped the slightest bit. “All those tricks’ll help, since they’re not the smartest type. Good you’re still small for your age, so getting away won’t be too hard for ya.” 

Shippo rolled his eyes. Before he could come up with a retort, Sesshomaru set a firm grasp around Bakusaiga and stated, “We’re going.” 

“Okay!” Shippo raced forward, hitching up the backpack. He just barely caught the edge of the tail hanging over Sesshomaru’s shoulder as the daiyokai leapt into the sky. Watching them depart, Kagome leaned into Inuyasha’s shoulder with a face lined with worry. 

“Idiot,” the hanyou sighed, bringing an arm up around her shoulders. “What the fuck does he wanna go fighting warrior tribes for? We got into enough dangerous shit back when we were hunting Naraku.” 

“He just wants to help,” Kagome sighed. “I can’t believe Sesshomaru actually agreed to take him along...” 

“I should’ve put my foot down. Told him no way.” 

“No.” She shook her head. “He would have just left anyway, without Sesshomaru to look after him.” 

“Feh, look after him how...” The arm stretched around her trembled slightly. “Why’s he being like this?” 

Rubbing her daughter’s back, Kagome tried to piece together an answer. “It’s just a guess, but...kids see more than we think they do. Like with Rin, and all of her struggles last year. Healing’s a hard task even for adults, and Shippo’s been carrying a lot of responsibility for a while. Maybe we leaned on him too much.”

“He keeps whinin’ that we treat him like a kid, and then you’re saying we leaned on him too much. Which is it?” 

“I don’t know, okay?” Unable to keep her crossness out of her voice, Kagome stared into the pale gray clouds where Shippo and Sesshomaru had disappeared. “It just sucks that we’re dealing with this on top of everything else right now.” 

“Hey...” Inuyasha’s voice dropped to a vulnerable tone, the kind that she’d never heard him use with anyone else. It sounded like whatever answer she gave could break him in half, as easily as stomping on a flea. “Do you think it’s my fault?” 

She swallowed, determined to be honest with him. “I don’t think getting on his case all the time helped. I know your relationship has always been sort of like that, but you’re both older now.” 

When he didn’t respond, she added, “He’s not going to know why you say or do certain things unless you explain it, Inuyasha. The same goes for Minako.” 

Stillness stretched around them. With it came a faint sense of deja vu, one that made her press her lips to her daughter’s head, as though to remind herself that she was still there. 

Finally, Inuyasha twisted, using his grip to pull her against his chest. “I don’t know _how_ to explain it. I don’t know what I’m doing, Kagome.” 

_Neither do I._ Her free arm came up around his back, pressing in solidly. Soon, she’d have to go back to the healing hut. Sango would still be unconscious; Miroku would probably still be there, too, looking pale and sleepless. Everything that they tried so far had been fruitless, partially because Minako kept fussing and breaking her concentration. If Kohaku came back without any helpful information, then they’d really be stuck. 

And now, she would have to pretend like she wasn’t worried about Shippo, on top of it all. 

“As soon as all this is sorted out,” Inuyasha sighed against her hair, “We’re goin’ on a fucking vacation.” 

* * *

Teeth gritting, Kagura peeled herself off of the floor. Disdain for Him made a sourness spread over her tongue; how dare He act like she owed Him any kind of loyalty? The bastard didn't even know her name. “I don’t do the task thing anymore. Divine or otherwise.” 

One cheek twitched, as the storm god stood. Every warning bell in Kagura’s head screamed.The disturbing playfulness from their previous interaction months ago seemed to have disappeared--not that she missed it, much. The other unpleasant one, the bright woman, was nowhere to be seen as He straightened to an impossible height. 

Sliding the fan into her hand, she glared up at Him with as much poison as she could muster. “Anyway, you’re a god, aren’t you? Whatever it is, do it yourself.” 

“My bride has been kidnapped.” Rage colored His face; storm clouds gathered at the crown of His head, darkening to match the shade of His hair. As He came within a foot of her, Kagura could see the jagged mountains of His shoulders were covered in impossibly thin cracks and crevices. “She is being held prisoner in my brothers’ realm. I am not permitted to enter there.” He sucked His cheeks in, in a show of petulance that was strange in its childishness. “Neither of them will _listen_.” 

She had plenty of experience with that particular annoyance. Still, that still didn't explain why He'd basically dragged her here. Kagura didn't even know that was a thing deities could do, and now that she was aware, she was quite sure that there should be some rule against it. Lifting her chin, she tried to mimic the Lady of the Sky Castle’s terrifying atmosphere. “And that’s my problem because?” 

“You’re a wind witch. Though I resurrected you, Fujin will accept you as a patron of His element.” His eyes combed over her face as though He was looking at a doll, and Kagura felt a surge of disgust. “You are the only one that can go _there_ and bring Her back _here_ without any further trouble.” 

“I’m still not seeing why I should.” Kagura snapped. The nerve of this creature, to toss people away like trash, only to drag them back to this realm once He needed something...“You keep saying She was kidnapped, but maybe She just left you.” 

“ _She didn’t leave me_!” Torrents of wind broke from the gaping hole of His mouth, slamming into the pillars around them with force. One arm came up to protect her face, and Kagura wondered for the first time since her arrival where all the crying attendants had gone. Had they merely fled, or had something worse happened? 

After what seemed like a lifetime, the winds calmed. When Kagura looked at the god again, the dispassionate look in His eyes chilled her to the bone. 

“If you refuse to do my bidding,” He declared, “then you also refuse the life that I returned to you. Perhaps you’d prefer to remain a mere spirit, with no earthy attachment.” A cold gaze flicked down to the pinpricks of blood spotting her feet. “I can take your soul from that body just as easily as I put it in.” 

Nausea burned in her throat, and she forced it back down with a harsh swallow. Why couldn’t everyone just leave her in fucking peace? She’d already suffered once under a man’s thumb; now another one was threatening to take her heart away. And if He did, then that was it. She’d be trapped in a lonely, longing life forever. 

Sure, at one time, being the free wind hadn't seemed so bad. But (despite how disgustingly sappy it sounded) she had people in her life that she cared about, now. People who she’d miss. Just because she didn’t know what to do about Sesshomaru didn’t mean she was going to throw her life away like an _idiot._

“I’m hardly powerful enough to defeat two gods on my own,” she tried a final time; both of them already knew that He’d won, but Kagura had no intentions to accept a gracious defeat from such an unpleasant being. “And as for your bride, can’t a goddess like that free Herself?” 

“My bride is not the goddess you’ve met before,” He said, taking a merciful step back. “Well, Sister _was_ my wife at one point, but after I went down to the mortal Realm, I met someone else. A lesser goddess; She is the bride that has been stolen from me.” 

Kagura’s dismayed expression didn’t seem to affect Him in the least. 

“And as for your first point, Fujin and Raijin are not the ones who’ve stolen Her.” Rumbles of thunder swallowed His tone. “They simply hold the criminal under their protection.” 

“Hold on.” Bringing her fan hand up, Kagura waved it back and forth rapidly. “Disregarding the whole incest thing. if this is one of those situations where two men want the same woman--”

“She was stolen from me because She is mine!” The clouds around His brow rumbled, and streaks of lightning flashed in the pupils of His eyes. “I don’t know what danger awaits Her, which is why you must go _immediately!_ ” 

Sighing, Kagura folded both arms together. There really wasn't much of a choice, here. At least time passed differently in the Divine realm, though she didn’t have a good grasp on how; Sesshomaru could wait for her a little longer. Certainly he couldn’t be too upset, if her corporeal existence was at stake. “And if I succeed in this, will you then allow me to live as I please?” 

The god’s shrug was infuriatingly careless. “I’ll have no further use for you, once She is safe.” 

Bastard; Kagura was smart enough to know that this was not a threat she could let the god hold over her head forever. She’d let Him think that she was helpless, held tight in His grasp. But if a god was in such dire straits as to ask a mere wind sorceress for help, then there had to be more to this game. All those nights waiting around for Sesshomaru to return had taught her patience--Kagura could wait for her turn to strike.

 _Someday He’s going to be sorry that He fucked with me._ “One last question, and then I’ll be on my way. What does the one who kidnapped Her have against you?” 

The god’s arms folded behind His back; more fissures appeared in His shoulder as it flexed. “My wife's captor is the only one of the children who ascended. For some reason, Raijin and Fujin have pledged to care for Her. I hardly remember Her name…”

Naturally, He’d created the problem Himself. Rage burned through her bloodstream--but despite how good it would feel, slapping a god would definitely result in being smited.

“Ah." He nodded once, as though solving a very simple problem. "Her name, it's Izuna.” 

Kagura grit her teeth sharply. _Of course._

 _Here’s hoping she’s just as dumb as her sisters_...

* * *

“Hey, Lord Sesshomaru!” 

Tension sprouted throughout his jawline. They’d barely traveled more than a few miles, and it was clear the kitsune didn’t know the benefit of mutual silence _._ Though the chattering was nothing compared to the _tugging_. 

“You’re worried about Kagura, right?” Shippo braced himself against the rush of air as they moved, feeling wetness collect at the corners of his eyes. Apparently Sesshomaru wasn’t the type to lay out his plans before heading off; based on the rapidly passing landscape, he had to guess that they were on the way towards the Western-Eastern border. Both hands clung tighter to the daiyokai’s fur as he continued, “Maybe we should go find her first, before we get too far!” 

Sesshomaru chanced a dark look back. By now, word had definitely gotten to Okkoto and his generals regarding his whereabouts. Based on the movements of the past few years, the boar’s forces would soon be heading towards the East, intending to stick close to a border controlled by their ally and Sesshomaru’s rival. “We shouldn’t waste time.” 

“It’s not wasting time!” Looking down made him feel dizzy, but looking up made the inside of his nose hurt. “When Kagome used to go through the Well, Inuyasha would always go to get her if she took too long!” 

How ridiculous, to be compared to someone as clingy and emotionally inept as his half-brother. Part of his arrangement with Kagura necessitated frequent distances from one another. Not that such a thing was something a child could understand. And had it escaped his notice that she was the one who’d left, this time? 

_You wouldn’t even have known..._

“It would be good if she’s with us, anyway,” Shippo continued. “If Okkoto has a wind jar, aren’t our odds better with a wind witch?”

That was...actually a decent point. Especially since the kitsune’s idea only worked if they were within close proximity to Okkoto himself, which thus far he hadn’t managed to achieve. Giving Kagura the opportunity to fight alongside him would perhaps hasten her decision regarding their future. And, if Kagura refused to have anything to do with it, then he would at least know where she was. Ensuring that she was safe (if only that) would distract him less from the other mysteries. How Okkoto was connected to Izuna, and to the taijiya’s plight, and possibly to Rin. 

“Fine.” He changed course sharply, causing Shippo to make a sharp squeaking noise. 

“Hey! Where are we going now?”

A noncommittal grunt was a decent enough answer; it wasn’t like it would stop him from asking foolish questions, anyway. Strangely enough, the extra weight and childish blabbering reminded him of Rin, back when she was younger and still traveling at his side. Looking back, he’d put her in many dangerous situations that the man he was now wouldn’t stand for. 

Ah, well. At least the kitsune had some skills in self-defense. 

* * *

_The pool of dark water swallowed Izuna easily, as long as She allowed herself to sink._

_It had taken a few tries to find the door to the correct realm; She’d had to swim far beneath the surface, until Her arms and legs grew weary from movement. Especially with the near-constant prayers of the boar tribe and their human captives ringing noisily in Her ears._

_Down here, where a rectangle of red cut into the water, it was quiet._

_Reaching out, Izuna traced the outline of the doorway with rough fingertips. Through this door, lay the realm where all those who existed would eventually return. Beneath Her feet bobbed an impossibly long stretch of chain, made from rows and rows and rows of tightly-knit seaweed. She’d tested its strength Herself, knew it was strong enough to hold a god._

_Bubbles rose from Her lips as She smiled. Yes, this was where She would hide the key to Her true destiny._

_Behind this door was the realm of the woman that the deities called Land-mother._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kagura finally has her task, and an unlikely pair has linked up. Next chapter, we'll check back in with Sango and Kohaku's respective quests. 
> 
> Thank you for your comments, kudos, and bookmarks, I really appreciate them so much. Please let me know if there's anything you'd like to see as I plan future chapters.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

CW: non-graphic description of miscarriage in 6th vignette 

“Hasn’t it been long enough?” Jaken hissed, trying to peek around Kohaku’s elbow. “He left just after daybreak! I bet he’s just like Rin, a _slow walker_.”

“Maybe something’s happened to him,” Kohaku said back. Worry tautened the curve of his jaw like a bowstring; he looked practically ready to snap. “I thought letting him go back to the village first would be safer, after what his uncle did to Sango. But maybe that was wrong...” 

“It was stupid of him to suggest it. Although not as stupid as we are, hiding like a cuckoo in someone’s filthy nest! ” Jaken’s vision was entirely obscured with thorny green branches, dripping with a sap that gave off quite an unpleasant smell. Certainly it would be helpful in hiding their presence from any boar yokai that may be sniffing around, or the creepy snake. Which was most likely Kohaku’s intention, but...oh, but Lord Sesshomaru wouldn’t have ever put them through such indignity!

The branches to his right shook violently. Kohaku twisted, knife in his hand, but sheathed it just as quickly as a large beetle floated in front of his face, buzzing angrily. It circled a bit, as though confused, before a rough swing of Jaken’s arm sent it spinning in an upwards trajectory.

“Gods, I hate this place,” the kappa groaned. “I doubt there’s anything here that would even be useful in helping your sister, after all the trouble she’s gotten herself into.” 

“It’s probably not a coincidence that Okkoto’s men were right behind the man who attacked Sango.” Kohaku dipped his head, wiping the sweat from his upper lip off on his knee. His legs felt numb from where they crouched in the dirt; at least it was familiar, a hazy memory of his childhood taijiya training. _Better dirt than blood._ “They’re not the type to just walk past a village in turmoil.” 

Begrudgingly, Jaken had to admit that was true. “I cannot imagine what Okkoto’s up to. For all we know, he has their missing goddess working for him, just like the other one. If only Lord Sesshomaru were here. He’d make quick work of all three of them.” 

The branches shook again, sending the pungent scent whirling around them. Jaken struggled to cough without making too much noise. Knife at the ready, Kohaku relaxed a second time as Shinjiro crawled under the bush with a wrinkled nose. Before the villager could speak, he’d pulled him into a tight hug.

“There you are! I was worried.” 

“Sorry,” Shinjiro gasped, pulling away after a moment.“Where are Kilala and Ah-Un?” 

Changing his position sent a pins-and-needles feeling shooting up his shins; Kohaku shuffled around in discomfort before finding his answer. “They’ll be back when the sun’s at its peak. Ah-Un’s too big to hide like this, so we sent them to search for clues about what happened to the goddess.” 

“I wish she was still here. There’s just...it’s a lot.” Hands pressed over his eyes, displaying how each nail had been bitten raw and red. 

“Well, go on! Tell us what you saw!” Jaken sniffed, earning himself a sharp jolt with Kohaku’s elbow. “We need to use what time we have left properly. _”_

Shinjiro shook his head. Both knees came up to press his elbows into his chest, driving his palms harder against his face. “It took so long because I went through the fields, instead of where the water is. Just in case I could find--you know. There were a few guards at the village perimeter. Boar, like you said. But it was strange--they didn’t even spare a glance at me when I went in.”

Kohaku frowned. That was lucky for them, but it certainly seemed off. 

“Everyone was inside, hiding. I knocked on at least five doors before someone would finally let me in. All the women were crying; they asked about my uncle, but when I told them he was dead it was just--” His shoulders jerked. “As if they expected it.” 

“What were they all sad about, then?” Of all the things to hate about humans, one thing that Jaken knew was certainly high on the list was their inability to get to the point. 

Shinjiro’s hands slipped from his face, falling to rest atop dirt-smeared knees. His expression was distant, as though he’d slipped his emotions off, too. “The boar tribe. The morning I left to find Kohaku, they appeared and demanded an audience with my uncle. He thought they were there to attack us. But instead, they made a deal: in exchange for a human sacrifice, Okkoto would kill Orochi.” 

“What!” Clawed hands sunk into the skin of Jaken’s cheeks. “What business does that insufferable pig have, making deals with humans? He despises your kind!”

“I don’t know. Maybe the goddess you talked about told him to do it. Either way, they said my uncle agreed. They didn’t see him after that.” 

_He must have left right after meeting with Okkoto,_ Kohaku thought. _To do what--get help? Or to try and find a substitute?_ “They might have thought he abandoned them. What happened next?” 

“No one knew what to do. At some point they sent a villager across the bridge, to see if the town over the water could help us. But he never came back, either. Then Okkoto suddenly declared that he needed five sacrifices, instead of one, for the strength it would take to kill Orochi.” 

Kohaku’s stomach dropped. The beetle from before flew down between them again, wobbling in a spiral pattern. Shinjiro watched it dully, and Kohaku found himself wondering if this was how he’d often looked while under Naraku’s thumb. A weary shell, shoulders burdened with ever more problems. 

“It’s a wonder he only chose five,” Jaken mused aloud, rubbing his sleeve over his nose. “He’s been known to decimate entire villages within a day. Your little town should count itself lucky.” 

Sullen eyes narrowed in the kappa’s direction before turning on the taijiya. “Kohaku, is there a way we can check on the other village?” 

Jaken twisted his head to give Kohaku a deadly glare; he knew the human boy was soft-hearted, but they couldn’t possibly waste more time! But it was too late; Kohaku was already wearing that gentle, simpering expression that he must have picked up from the priestess Kagome at some point or another. When one hand moved to rest on Shinjiro’s arm, Jaken knew it was a lost cause. 

“Of course we can!. But we should rest a bit first. When Kilala and Ah-Un return, we can make our final plan. Can I ask you one last thing?”

He nodded. 

“Has the sacrifice happened yet?” 

Before the boy could speak, Jaken interrupted. “Of course not! Okkoto’s notorious for long-winded, archaic rituals. He would only do such things when the moon’s full, or disappeared entirely from the sky. _Especially_ if he’s working with an elemental goddess. Ridiculous…” 

Relief warmed the back of Kohaku’s throat. “That’s good; we still have time to find him.” 

Shinjiro frowned. “Find who?” 

Kohaku leaned back, ignoring how the sap of the branches surrounding them smeared against the back of his taijiya uniform. “Orochi, of course. We’re going to kill him first.” 

* * *

The divine world faded and redrew itself like a painting; before she could fathom it, Kagura was no longer staring into the storm god’s sinister face, but standing at the edge of an impossibly long path. It was made up of perfectly smooth dirt, stretching into a white nothingness that made her head hurt just to look at it. 

On either side of the road, hundreds of pools of shimmering water scarred the grass. Spirits of various elements circled them lazily, occasionally dipping a fin or paw or hand into the ripples. 

Silently, Kagura looked to her left, then her right. The pool directly on the right, though smaller, was a few steps closer. She moved to stand at the edge.

After a moment, she pulled her fan free. 

The curses that flew from her mouth as she sent thrashing winds directly into the water’s surface turned _quite_ a few heads. 

Only after she was too out of breath to continue did Kagura let her arm drop, slipping slightly on the soaked grasses. Water stained the entire front of her robe; out of the corner of her eye, she could see a spirit fall to the ground, squeaking in shock. She huffed a dark laugh. 

What the hell was she supposed to do here? Rescue a deity’s bride, trapped in the realm of a vengeful goddess... A goddess that had a _wind jar._ She shuddered. 

Although the storm god hadn’t said anything about that. Perhaps the bastard hadn’t considered it relevant; or else he didn’t remember. 

Or...no, the goddess couldn’t have been so stupid to just hand the instrument over to Okkoto. No, most likely Izuna had simply dumped Susanoo’s bride in a cave or something before running off to the other realm so she could rub elbows with the boar tribe. Which was good, because liberating her captive would be _much_ easier if she wasn’t home. 

Kagura cursed again, this time under her breath, at the unfairness of it all. Winds tickled the hair on the back of her neck, teasing the strands apart gently. Comforting as it was, the action did nothing to slow her racing thoughts.

Izuna’s absence in the Divine realm would definitely cause trouble for Sesshomaru and Rin. He’d only gotten away with murdering all those deities before because they’d been insignificant. But if Izuna was under Raijin and Fujin’s protection, then what hope did he have of defeating her without earning his own destruction in return? Kagura wouldn’t even get a chance to argue with him about his proposal before he was sent to the Underworld. 

_Which wouldn’t be such a frightening thing to think about, if they weren’t so clueless about saving Sango’s soul._

Speaking of souls--was that what she was, here? Before, when she’d sipped from the cup, her body had remained on earth. But perhaps it wasn’t the same now, since Kagura had been transformed into the wind at the time that the storm god had so rudely abducted her. Experimentally, she brought one hand hard across her face, causing an audible noise. Several muffled gasps started behind her, and a smarting sensation spread across her cheek. 

Well, she certainly seemed corporeal--not that the rules of deities ever made sense. 

“Excuse me?”

Kagura must have worn a rather poisonous expression when looking over her shoulder, because the water spirit that had spoken stumbled back several feet. Or perhaps it was just the handprint-shaped welt swelling on her face that unnerved him. “Yeah?” 

“I-is this your first time in the Divine realm, miss?” 

“What’s it to you?” She flicked her fan closed; her free hand squeezed the water out of her now-soaked outer kimono. The spirit tried unsuccessfully not to stare, large eyes on either side of his fish-head widening. 

“I simply ask, t-to know for which god you seek. This realm can be vast for those who do not know their way around. And, um, there has been some shuffling around within the pantheon, as of late...” 

Kagura rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Leave me alone.” 

Mottled green skin turned red; with an indignant _hmph_ , he sloshed away. She turned her gaze back to the abused water pool, which looked disappointingly unaffected despite her earlier tantrum. 

Anger, always her rescuer, had allowed her to stand face-to-face with storm god. But now all that remained was the nauseating sensation of coercion. To be a lowly servant, crushed under a weight of another’s desires…

 _No, this is not the same_. This time, she chose to play the game in order to give herself time. No matter what, she would break the hold that stupid incestuous windbag had over her. Killing a god didn’t seem easy, but Sesshomaru had accomplished it quite a few times in the mortal realm, so it definitely wasn’t impossible. 

Sesshomaru...who knew what he was even doing right now. ‘Looking for her’ would have been Kagura’s first guess if there hadn’t been so much else going on. Frowning, she rubbed the sore spot on her face. 

Earlier, she’d brushed off making him wait even longer. But if Kagura was being realistic, the more her absence dragged on, then the more likely it was that he’d assume it to be intentional. Even though he should know by now that she wasn’t a coward. 

What she wouldn’t give right now to have the past few days disappear entirely, leaving them lying side-by-side in her room. It didn’t even matter if all he talked about was war; she would bite her tongue for once, so long as things were settled between them again. What a fool he’d been to spoil it. 

But she was the bigger fool, for wanting him all the same. Perhaps on this trip, she’d find a way for that to make sense with all of the other feelings in her heart. 

Whirling around, Kagura called across the path to the spirit from before. “Hey!” 

Startling, he held both fins up to shield his face. “W-what is it?” 

The tip of her fan pointed out into the distance, where the path thinned into nothingness. “Will that take me to Fujin’s realm, or what?” 

* * *

Okkoto ducked behind a tree, cloak held in front of his face. Narrow eyes searched over one shoulder, than another. When he was sure the coast was clear, the leader of the boar tribe barrel-rolled to the next tree, coming up in a crouch. 

Taichi yawned, wrapping both arms tighter around the sack carrying the jar. “What’re you doing, Dad?” 

A cantankerous huff in his direction was the older boar’s reply. “I am employing the basic skills that _my_ father taught me, when enacting a dangerous mission.”

“What’s so dangerous about taking a field trip to hide from the God-killer?” 

“It’s not a _field trip!_ ” The pad of Okkot’s foot found tree bark, sending a few splinters in his son’s direction. “Although the West’s Yellow Valley is a very important spiritual site, especially for the deity Ina--”

“Seriously?” The pitch of Taichi’s whine would have rivaled a newborn’s cry. “We already have one goddess doing all this stuff for us, we don’t need another one!” 

“If you listened the first time I explained it, you would understand that we are going there because of its proximity to Lord Sesshomaru’s fortress,” Okkoto snapped. Letting his cloak drop, he stalked through the trees with much less finesse than before, teeth gritting. “Our tribe has maintained control of it for years, after we drove out the local tribes. Oh, those were the days--blood-spattered mountains as far as the eye could see. You’d be surprised how many of those caves have your grandfather’s men buried in them.”

Taichi sniffed. “Every time you say ‘those were the days’, you’re either talking about battles that had bad endings or stuff we can’t tell anyone about because it’ll blow our cover, or something.”

“Such is the way of war.” Okkoto whirled around suddenly, arms outstretched. “Here, give me the jar.” 

Despite his lack of interest in such things, Taichi found himself hunching over a little over the artifact. “Why?” 

“Because I don’t trust you with it,” Okkoto said plainly. “Your arm is still wounded from the business with the slayer and the apple. Besides, I need it to scatter our scents.” 

His dad was getting that crazy glint in his eyes again; Taichi obeyed, although not without a silent prayer of his own. 

_Hopefully we can go back to the East soon, and relax for a while..._

* * *

Pulling herself out of the memory--the one she’d been very sure at the time was meant to be her last, with Miroku’s arms around her as she begged him not to leave--felt mechanical at this point. As easy as walking through a door; out one room, into another. Or maybe Sango was just thinking about doors because of the hazy rectangle of golden light.

It gleamed before her, less than twenty steps away. A single thread that shone so boldly. Her blood ran hot when she looked at it. What was on the other side was a mystery, but something deep within her felt that it had to be good.

Or at least better than the sea of red mist. Absently, she wondered if breathing the concoction in for this long was harmful--but then, she had no choice. Her mask, like all of her weapons, was gone. 

Not to mention she had no measure for what “this long” even meant. Days? Weeks? She didn’t feel any thirst or hunger, but then the dead probably didn’t. That was alright; Sango didn’t need the promise of sustenance to motivate her. All she had to do was remember the rewards that clinging to life had brought, the first time.

_My family. I want to see my family._

Of course it looked very different now than it had then, but that only spurred her on further. Because it didn’t matter if she was a terrible mother, or a terrible wife, or even a terrible taijiya. As soon as her feet touched earth again, Sango resolved, she would be better. Whatever sacrifices it took. Whatever apologies she had to give. Each memory, whether horrifying to re-experience or painful to leave, would be conquered--because none of it compared to the thought of Miroku and her children grieving her. 

_I have to wake up,_ she thought, dragging herself forward another step. _I won’t let everything be in vain. Come on, Sango._

 _Come on,_ another voice echoed, clear as day, and Sango would have jumped if she’d been in her right mind. The fog darkened, because of course it did, but she could still see the golden light calling her forwards--

Suddenly, the ground under her feet softened into silt. Sango stumbled, spreading her arms wide to regain her balance. The world around her shifted, the start of another memory, and boldly she pushed it away. _No. I’m too close._

Persistently, the gurgles of running water filled her eardrums. Cool wind brushed the backs of her ears, and the sound of her own voice in response was startling. “Go away. You’re not real.” 

She managed another step before pain ripped through her abdomen. Then Sango was on her hands and knees, gasping.

A chilling realization dawned: this world didn’t want to let her go. That was why the memories came faster, the closer she was to the light. That was why it was _this_ memory, the one she’d been working so hard to push away, that held her back from her freedom. 

“No,” she said aloud, teeth gritting against the pain. Another jolt, and her forehead hit the ground. Red seeped into her vision; the clouds, surrounding her. Then red started to fade into blue, then gray...

The strange being from before had told her to _wait._ This is what it had wanted: for Sango to be devoured by the past, or more likely her agony over it. The death of her hope for the future. _But I can’t--!_ She twisted her head to one side. One palm pressed hard against her abdomen. It’s soft curve was a clear reminder of the present; a natural shape that was only to be expected after carrying three children.

 _No,_ she thought despairingly, feeling the muscles beneath her hand flex sharply with another rush of pain. She couldn’t deny it anymore, not as the memory poured over her.

_Four._

* * *

About half a day had passed, and Shippo had yet to find anything fun about traveling with Lord Sesshomaru. 

For one thing, the daiyokai’s flight after their first conversation had remained completely silent. No upbeat stories of past conquest, no ironing out the details of their plans, and not a single question of whether Shippo was handling the flight well. (Which he totally was, even if a raging headache was starting to take up residence in the front part of his skull and didn’t seem like it would ease anytime soon…) 

Shippo’s suggestion to stop for lunch had been blatantly ignored. His one joke about the shape of a forest they passed? Nothing. At this point, Shippo almost missed Inuyasha’s complaining, because at least he got to tease him back.

Finally, after what seemed like _forever,_ Sesshomaru started to descend. They were still a few feet over the ground before Shippo jumped, landing on all fours on tall, scratchy grass. Pulling the backpack off and settling it in his lap, he dug through the contents to find a piece of shiny fruit to munch on hungrily. 

“Why’d we stop, Lord Sesshomaru?” Wiping his mouth off on his sleeve, he looked around curiously. “Nothing’s here.” 

Sesshomaru looked this way, then that; for a second Shippo wondered if he had annoyed him too much that he was being actively punished with the silent treatment. Then, finally, Sesshomaru nodded his head towards a swath of land several yards away, where sheafs of rice stretched as high as Shippo’s shoulder “We will need those for our task.” 

“Oh.” Shippo took a few more bites of his snack. He was pleased that Sesshomaru had accepted his idea, but he’d thought they were looking for Kagura first. Besides, there were tons of places that they could get a decent offering from on the way to the valley.

Unless...a memory of Inuyasha sitting by the well and grumbling popped into his head. Maybe the rice was just an excuse? The kitsune made a show of searching through the backpack, watching Sesshomaru out of the corner of his eye. There--the daiyokai bent to the ground to pick something up, hiding it out of sight. Though he couldn’t see what it was, Shippo could guess who it was for--Rin and Kohaku had told him all about how Kagura liked collecting stuff. 

A cheeky grin spread across Shippo’s face. Dog demons were all the same; once they got attached, there was no going back.

“Go.” Sesshomaru’s voice startled the smile from his face. “Collect as much as you think would be necessary.” 

Shippo looked back towards the rice in confusion. “But how am I--”

“ _Quickly.”_ The exasperated look he was given made Shippo feel a swell of sympathy for Jaken, if he was the one usually at the other end of it. Grumbling, he let the backpack fall to the ground with a _thump_ and headed towards the high stalks.

If Lord Sesshomaru tried to force them to skip dinner, he might not be able to hold back from using his Bamboo Copter on him. 

* * *

Someone was shouting at her to get up, but like slipping underwater, Sango could no longer hear it.

_She’d spent hours seeking out the places where rat yokai were likely to nest and placing her poisons there, then hunting down the creatures themselves. Much like the town across the river, the villagers had kept their distance--many had seemed relieved when Sango had suggested they stay inside while she worked. The man in grey had been the only one to watch, but even he had left an hour ago as the sun went down._

_Her arms and legs felt oddly weak, and she rotated the shoulder of her throwing arm as she walked along the river-side, searching for anything she might have missed. Then, the spasms had started._

_She dug short nails into the silt, feeling it smear. Heat spiraled throughout her lower body, matched by a lightheadedness that sent her forehead pressing into the earth. It was familiar--the pangs of giving birth. Except it was much too early. She’d only missed two cycles, hadn’t even had the opportunity to tell Miroku yet._

_Hadn’t even had the chance to think about how she felt about it, yet._

_They’d been planning to try again in two or three years, and it hadn’t even been one. But now, losing her option to choose, Sango felt panicked. What had she done wrong? Could it have been the poisons and the physical stress on her body?_

_Another pang had her breathing raggedly, curling closer into herself. Stop, please stop…_

“Stop.” The voice from before, strained with urgency. They were in front of her, or behind her, or--she didn’t have the mind to say. “Please, you’re so close.” 

Grief heavy on her shoulders, Sango obeyed and unfolded herself. Something bright wa _right there_ , burning through her eyelids. Squinting, she shuffled forward, just as the physical and emotional pain reached its peak--

And stumbled through the door, straight into an underwater chasm. A hand clasped around one arm, holding her up. It took a few minutes for the memory to fade completely, clearing like miasma from her lungs; she felt a spark of joy, at finally being freed. 

“I heard you crying,” the woman said, bubbles flying from her lips. She had a soft, round face spotted with freckles from chin to hairline; one arm was hardly visible through the thick layers of seaweed wrapping around it, stretching down into the depths of the water. Her words rang beautifully in Sango’s ears, though they made no sense. “You were crying like that by the river, too. I can never resist humans when they cry.” 

Sango’s mouth opened and closed a few times. They were completely submerged, yet she was having no trouble whatsoever breathing. All of the light she’d seen before had dimmed, filtering through the water from a source far above. She couldn’t possibly have seen it shining so brightly from where she’d been behind the door, and yet... “Where--who--”

The woman’s hand cupped her cheek. Long-needed relief filled her chest, and Sango clung to the woman’s sleeves with both hands as though in supplication. 

“I am the rice goddess of the river towns, and the storm god’s bride.

My name is Kushinada.”


	14. Interlude: Kushinada's Story

_ Kushinada was born with eight older sisters.  _

_ By the time she was twenty, she had none. _

* * *

_ When she was born, her mother and father took her to see the river, and the fields of rice that flanked either side of it.  _ **_This is our duty,_ ** _ they told her.  _ **_We feed the people here._ ** _ Her earliest memory was of placing two tiny hands against the cool stone of a temple, splashed with red paint. When she laughed, grasses burst from beneath her feet to stretch towards the sun. _

**_Listen for the people’s prayers,_ ** _ her mother would say.  _ **_And do your best to answer them._ **

_ Kushinada promised. But she was still little, and the humans' prayers were so loud and so serious. At night she would bury her face in blankets and press both hands against her ears; every time, there were too many voices to block out.  _

**_Please, please,_ ** _ they would beg, _ **_Please help us…_ **

**_How can I help you?_ ** _ Her father's voice would reply aloud, ripping great handfuls of hair out from his head.  _ **_What should I do?_ **

**_Don't let him take us,_ ** _they would say. **Give him something else, instead.**_

* * *

_ Kushinada never knew if it was his choice, or if he was simply unable to stop it.  _ _ But, starting from when she was four, the same dreaded night would come as though it was just another season. Every two years, a bedroll would disappear from Kushinada’s bedroom, just as each sister disappeared from her rice field. _

_ Her mother would weep, so many tears that her cheeks seemed to always be rubbed raw. Kushinada spent so many days pressing cloth into bowls of warm water, patting it against her mother’s face. _

_ She didn’t know if it helped. She was afraid to ask.  _

_ By the time she was fourteen, Kushinada was feeding half a dozen villages. Many days she would half-wake to find her hands already black with dirt, and the morning breeze whistling in her ears.  _

**_Orochi will get you,_ ** _ it seemed to hiss.  _ **_Orochi owns this land._ ** _ Perhaps it was a warning, perhaps a taunt. Either way, how could she disagree?  _

_ When her last sister was taken, Kushinada wondered how to feel about being left for last. The voices begged her--only her, now--to protect their crops and their girls. She didn’t tell her parents. She didn’t tell him that, despite their selfishness, she’d always loved the voices.  _

_ She loved their cheers of thanks when the reserves lasted through long winters.  _

_ She loved the blushing laughs of lovers who secreted their first kisses in her fields.  _

_ She loved the soft little blessings that the women whispered over the babies, asking her to make them grow as tall as the rice did.  _

_ But she was the only sister left. Orochi would come again, and this time her fields would have no one to tend them. What would they do--what would her parents do--what would happen, when she was taken?  _

_ Kushinada had wept like her mother, then.  _

* * *

**_Please, please,_ ** _ a voice whispered in her ears. _ **_Orochi is coming. Please help us…_ **

**_Why should I help you?_ ** _ She screamed into her pillow.  _ **_I can’t even help myself._ **

* * *

_ Then He came.  _

_ Wind and water, storm and sea, all in the form of a man. Susanoo. In His hands, Kushinada changed. Her brain and voice were stuck in some strange in-between, where the voices couldn’t touch her. When she could feel, touch, see again, Orochi lay in pieces on the ground. Susanoo stood over the monster’s body, a magnificent sword in His hand. He smiled triumphantly, like she had been one of His voices.  _

**_Don’t be afraid,_ ** _ He said.  _ **_Orochi will plague this land no longer._ **

_ Kushinada beat the monster’s body with her hands, sobbing for her sisters.  _

* * *

**_Did you come to me because you heard me crying?_ ** _ She asks Him.  _

_ A wide-toothed smile. He chooses not to lie.  _ **_I heard your mother and father crying. They thought you would be taken._ **

**_I wasn’t taken,_ ** _ she reminds Him,  _ **_because you saved me._ **

_ He moves to kiss her cheek, fingers curling around her chin. Then He whispers,  _ **_Do you love me only because I saved you?_ **

_ She closes her eyes.  _ **_Did you only save me because you love me?_ ** ****

_ He says they will be married, and Kushinada forgets all about the prayers.  _

* * *

_ Kushinada asks to see Her parents. He, her smiling husband, does not want her to descend--goes on and on about the dangers of gods in an Undivine realm. She reminds Him that they would not have met, had He not done it Himself. Susanoo laughs, chucks her chin, and tells her to make it quick.  _

_ But when she touches earth again, Kushinada hears someone crying by the river. Her river.  _

_ She cannot turn away.  _

_ And that is how she is caught.  _


	15. Chapter Fourteen

“ _ Minako! _ ” 

Kagome’s focus broke as the now-upturned cup from her lunch rolled half-way across the room, splashing tea everywhere. Miroku followed its track with wide eyes. His hands remained clasped in prayer over Sango’s body.

Embarrassment sent Kagome’s face aflame. She’d left the baby settled on her stomach parallel to the medicine cot, thinking that since she couldn’t crawl yet that it would be fine. “Tummy time”, as her mom called it, was supposed to be important--and with Minako sleeping less than half of the hours she was “supposed” to, Kagome wanted to get everything else right. But thanks to a sudden thrashing of those two chubby arms, things were now a mess. 

“Kagome,” Miroku said in a careful tone that immediately made her suspicious. “You’ve been trying to make contact with Sango’s soul for several days. Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Of course I am.” She pasted a brave smile on her face.  _ He must be so worried about Sango, and the kids.  _ “Don’t worry about the tea, I’ll clean it up. Then we can start over.”

Miroku’s head bent, hiding his eyes from view. It wasn’t until Kagome had already located a rag and chased down the cup that he replied. “I’m not sure what else there is to try.” 

Settling the cup well out of Minako’s reach, Kagome stared at him. 

“I...It’s not the first time we’ve dealt with this kind of thing,” she argued, knowing that she’d already said it several times to no real benefit. “And Sango’s gotten more color in her cheeks since just this morning. That has to be good, right?” 

He didn’t answer. Her earlier concern for him twisted into an ugly frustration, a cold gray  _ thing  _ pushing its way out from behind her eyes. 

Minako made a little noise of disapproval as Kagome hefted her up. “We’ll be back in a minute.” 

She practically ran to the inn, ignoring the hellos of other villagers that she passed. In her bedroom, she found Inuyasha sitting cross-legged on the floor with a basket of bulbous purple plants by his knee. 

“Hey. Jinenji an’ his mom showed up with these; guess their harvest went pretty good. I told ‘em to take the main room cause he can’t fit no where else.” 

Kagome sat Minako on her belly on top of her favorite blanket, giving her a little pat of encouragement. Then she threw herself into Inuyasha’s lap. 

“Oi!” Both arms went around her; the basket next to his knee shifted, threatening to topple over. “What’re you crying about--”

“Why shouldn’t I cry?” she wailed, burying her face in his shoulder. “Shippo’s gone, Kohaku’s on a dangerous mission, Sango might die, and--and _I’m_ _so tired!_ ” 

Inuyasha’s posture softened, letting her fall more heavily against him. “Kagome…” 

All too often, he was reminded that his wife was the emotional rock of the village. No matter what crazy shit happened, she met every challenge with an unbreakable spirit and a smile that rivaled the sun itself. Kids told her their problems, the village elders insisted she was wise, and any travellers who arrived downtrodden left with renewed vigor in their souls. He’d be stupid to deny any of it. 

But it would also be stupid to think that just because a heart was strong, that it couldn’t bruise.

“Eh, go ahead then.” One ear pricked in his daughter’s direction, Inuyasha settled a hand on the back of Kagome’s head and moved it in what was hopefully a soothing motion. When she gripped his shirt tighter, he figured that it was a good sign. 

After what seemed like forever, his wife’s breath shifted from what he’d privately call “blubbering” into much more respectable “sniffles”. Inuyasha reared back to inspect her face--yep, just as he thought, it had gone all blotchy. He cupped her cheeks in both hands, rubbing gently with his thumbs to make the red spots go away. 

“Feel better?” 

She gulped, then muttered, “Yeah.”

“If you go out looking like that, people’ll think I said something nasty to ya,” he joked. A weak curve in the corner of her mouth was all it wrought. He frowned at the dark circles stretching under her eyes. “It won’t be like this forever, you know.” 

“I know.” When she slumped forward to rest her cheek on his shoulder, he didn’t object. “She’ll sleep through the night one of these days.” 

“I don’t mean just that.” He shifted his weight back and forth so they were swaying, in the same rhythm that he used to rock the baby. Kagome decided it felt nice, even if it made her feel a little pathetic. 

“Inuyasha?” She mumbled. Through their embrace, she could feel his responding hum. “Will you tell me about your nightmares sometime?” 

He froze, and she tightened her grip on him reflexively. 

“That’s not gonna make you feel better, Kagome.” 

“Yes it will.” She twisted her head so she was facing Minako. Happily kicking her legs and arms against the blanket, the baby was blissfully unaware of how upset Kagome had just been. “I don’t want you worrying about things all by yourself.”

When he shook his head, the forelocks of his hair brushed against the back of her neck. “It’s a bad idea to get into it right now.” 

“But later? You’ll tell me?”

Silence. Of course--instead of lying to her, Inuyasha preferred to not say anything at all. Even though she couldn’t help if she didn’t understand...Kagome thought back to what he’d said before:  _ I don’t know how to explain it. _

“Let’s take a break tomorrow,” Inuyasha said suddenly. “Outside of the village. You wanted to, right?” 

Despite the sudden swell of interest, she couldn’t help but hesitate. “Can we really do that?”  _ If Sango got worse while I was away, I could never forgive myself… _

“Just an hour or two, on the other side’a the wall. We’ll take Minako with us.” He patted her hair again, careful not to catch the strands with his claws. “Okay?” 

Kagome nodded, rubbing her cheek against his sleeve. It wasn’t a vacation, but it was probably as close as she was going to get. Who even knew what other trouble was on the horizon... 

* * *

Sesshomaru looked at the pile of yokai bodies strewn before him with disgust. Low levels of demonic energy, barely sentient types; hardly worth the effort to kill. Flicking blood from his fingers, he stated, “We’ll stop here for the night.” 

Shippo, blood streaking his front, simply nodded. He’d been quicker on his feet than expected, receiving no injuries that Sesshomaru could note. Not that the intended opponents posed much of a challenge. 

In the time before Rin, he’d made it his quest to fight the most powerful yokai in all parts of the West. Now, he played hide-and-seek with mercenaries like Okkoto. Had this been what bored his father so much, that he took interest in human women? Sesshomaru shuddered to think of it. 

The sky darkened in the time it took to make a fire. Shippo, in a fresh shirt, sat across from the daiyokai in awkward silence for a long while before it became unbearable. 

“Is this what you used to do back when we were hunting Naraku?”

Sesshomaru frowned, warring between several responses before settling on, “More or less.” 

Shippo privately thanked the gods that Kagome had been the one to find him. Staring into the glow of the fire, he said, “Was it harder after you found Rin?” 

One hand moved to rest on Tenseiga in a reflexive movement. “In some ways.” 

“I bet she saw a lot of crazy stuff happen.” Leaning back, Shippo slipped both hands behind his head and turned his gaze up to the sky. “Back when I first met Inuyasha and Kagome, they helped me defeat the Thunder demons who killed my father. Geez, and I thought  _ they  _ were bad. After Sango and Miroku joined us, we only fought even worse demons!”

Here they went again. With the  _ chattiness _ . 

“Inuyasha was a big bully, too. I never thought he’d be any good with kids.” Shippo shifted so his pair of tails curled up on either side to rest in his lap, like two halves of a blanket. “But he’s really nice to Minako. Since Kagome had her, she’s all he thinks about.” 

The hint of jealousy in the kitsune’s tone didn’t escape him. But it didn’t interest him, either, so Sesshomaru didn’t remark on it. After all, he wouldn’t know anything about resentment towards a younger sib--

“It makes sense, since she can’t do anything to defend herself. You know that she’s human, right? Rin and I thought she was going to have little puppy ears for sure, but Kaede said that Kagome’s powers must have purified any demon blood while she was still growing.” Blinking up at the sea of blue-black, Shippo sighed, “She’s still pretty cute, though. Like, sometimes she grabs hold of my thumb and--” 

Sesshomaru stood abruptly, making Shippo flinch. Bakusaiga’s blade was white in the glow of the fire. Turning away, the daiyokai stated, “I’ll return shortly.”

“Where are you--” But before he could even finish, Shippo found himself suddenly alone. Pouting, he pulled the yellow backpack over so he could wrap both arms around it. “He’s still pretty antisocial, I guess…” 

* * *

It made absolutely no sense at all. 

He’d been certain that he’d caught a hint of her scent just now, but it had disappeared just as quickly. Yet, if she’d been following them in her wind form, Sesshomaru would have definitely noticed earlier. 

Whatever was going on, it needed to sort itself out  _ immediately. _

Sesshomaru glanced back at the small, glowing dot that noted where their fire burned. Despite how well he’d done earlier, the kitsune would probably be sound asleep when he made his way back, leaving himself vulnerable. He couldn’t expect that Inuyasha had taught the boy all that was necessary to survive; he hadn’t even been involved in the final battle against Naraku, in those years ago. 

Though, if he compared it to his situation with Rin, distancing a child from war seemed a bit more sensible. And now Inuyasha had an even closer comparison. 

_ An entirely human daughter.  _ Shippo was clearly unaware of it, but Sesshomaru knew all too well the immutable truth. The three of them--kitsune, daiyokai, hanyou--would likely outlive all the humans that they knew. It wouldn’t surprise him if such things kept his half-brother up at night. 

He himself refused to dwell on it. The one time he’d mentioned it aloud, it had only been in the darkness of his chambers, shortly after the goddesses had formed the lake. Kagura had gripped his jaw in one hand and warned him not to ruin their good time with such a melancholy subject. 

_ If you think about it too much, you won’t be able to look at her without imagining an old woman. Now wouldn’t that make you sad?  _

Frowning, Sesshomaru started walking again, intending to make a wide circle around their night camp. Perhaps if she hadn’t been so flighty at the mere suggestion of responsibility, he wouldn’t be stuck wondering about such things. Certainly he had no plans to discuss emotions, of all things, with Shippo.

_He is here because his idea may work in my favor._ _I can respect a creature that takes initiative._

_ Perhaps **you** have forgotten that... _

* * *

_ Why is this stupid road not getting any shorter? It’s been hours. _

Kagura groaned aloud. Leaning over slightly to rest her hands on her knees, she sent a dark look out into the distant blankness.  _ Supposedly,  _ Fujin’s realm, along with His brother’s, was hidden somewhere in those clouds. Susanoo had seemed confident that she’d be allowed in; but (despite the fact that Kagura hadn’t spoken to the master of her element in ages) it was unlikely that He would welcome her if she openly advertised her true reason for visiting. 

_ Knock, knock. I’m here to steal away the captive plaything of your adopted daughter, cause it turns out she belongs to your  _ **_other_ ** _ brother. You know, the one you hate? _

Shaking her head, she started walking again. At least Fujin’s realm had to be more interesting than this. In all the time she’d been walking, there’d been only one moment of fascination.

Earlier, when stopping for a rest, she’d shamelessly eavesdropped on a spirit at the side of one of the strange pools. At first, she’d assumed the strange creature had simply been talking to themself; however, when Kagura had inched closer, she could see a reflection deep in the water that looked an awful lot like a sleeping human. 

Putting that together with the strange voice Sesshomaru had heard previously, and her own memory of the fire god addressing her through a dream? The natural conclusion was that divine creatures could use the pools in this realm to engage with those in the other. 

Which meant she’d probably done something bad by destroying one of them earlier, but that was more Susanoo’s fault than hers. Speaking of which, Kagura already had an idea forming in her head of how to use that tidbit of information against the ancient fool…

A crowd of white-robed beings, similar in look to the attendants she’d seen in Susanoo’s palace before, stumbled onto the road. They moved as one, paying Kagura no mind as they yammered to each other like a group of housewives. The wind witch had to swerve off the path into the grass to avoid running into them. 

“More are joining Her each day. He will not be happy.” 

“Perhaps it is simply the way of things. Nothing can be changed.” 

“But then why does She seem so worr--” 

The last attendant’s words were cut off in a shriek as a gust of wind shoved them forwards. Kagura stepped back onto the path, closing her fan with a self-indulgent smirk. 

“You!” One of the robed women paled, hands coming up to her face. “You’re not one of the chosen. You have no business in this realm!” 

“Trust me, I don’t want to be here either.” She nodded her head in the general direction opposite to where she was headed. “ _ That _ stupid bastard’s asked me to get His wife back for Him, since He can’t do it Himself.” 

“Ah!” The attendants all made sad noises. “Poor Kushinada. Stolen far away...”

Kagura raised an eyebrow. “Is She really so weak that She can’t defend Herself?” 

One of the beings moved closer, despite her companions’ gesturing to stay back. “Kushinada is a rice goddess, who has ascended to be the bride of our great and powerful Storm god. Bring Her back quickly, so that She may return to His side.” 

“He’s got another wife. Why all the rush?” To her amusement, the question sent the pale faces of the spirits coloring. One mouthed ‘wicked!’ in her direction, and she resisted the urge to stick out her tongue. 

“Kushinada is well-loved here,” the one brave girl breathed, placing both hands against her heart. “He rescued Her from cruel, selfish worshippers.” 

“The same ones He threw His children down to, just last year, right?” Ugh; hero worship of anyone, but especially those who went out of the way to cause problems for other people, made her sick. “Remember how they then were all horrifically murdered?” 

Faces drawn in horror, the entire group started speaking all at once. Heat hit the back of Kagura’s neck in a thick wave, as a new voice carried over the din.

“Is the one who murdered them not your lover?” 

_ The bright lady.  _ Kagura froze, the hand holding her fan snapping up. A sleeve of red and orange drew the attention out of the corner of her eye, as a tall woman circled around her, gesturing to the white-robed girls. Hanging from her hip was a sword, even more majestic than those Inu no Taisho had bestowed upon his sons (although Sesshomaru would give her quite the cold shoulder if Kagura ever dared to suggest it). 

“Come; this creature is of no importance to us.” 

Somehow bowing and walking at once, something that Jaken had never been able to succeed in, the group of girls moved away. Kagura waited until they were a decent enough distance away before whirling around. 

_ Kushinada, you better be ready, because if I have to stay here much longer I’m going to do something I regret... _

* * *

“I am the rice goddess of the river towns, and the storm god’s bride. My name is Kushinada.” 

The freckles across the goddess’ face danced as She tilted Her head at Sango. The taijiya blushed faintly under the intensity of Her gaze, taking a moment to collect her thoughts. The river towns--were those the same towns where she and Kohaku had completed their last job? None of the humans there had looked particularly blessed. Although, how could they, if their goddess had been taken away...

“Where are we?” She twisted her head around, brushing bubbles away with both hands. A line of red noted the entrance to the other realm, where she’d been trapped. Other than that, all she could see were some faint shimmers in the far-off water.  _ Wherever it is, it’s certainly deep down… _

“I’m not sure what it’s called,” Kushinada admitted with a sigh. She held Her trapped arm aloft, tugging vainly at the strings of seaweed. “Only that it lies between the realms of the Divine and Undivine.” 

Sango made a mental note to discuss that with Miroku later, to see if he’d read about such a thing. “You’re here against your will, aren’t you?” Taking the goddess’ arm, she inspected the seaweed closely, wishing she had one of her knives. 

“Yes. I left my husband’s palace, and made a single mistake.” Kushinada bowed Her head. “I can’t resist any human that cries.” 

_ Oh, no.  _ Guilt flooded her soul.  _ She’s here because of me?  _

As if She could read her mind, the goddess’ hand pressed over Sango’s cheek in a comforting gesture. “You were simply in the wrong place at the wrong moment. She would have used any human that I came across.” Her cupid’s bow deepened as her lips turned down. “She must have waited for quite a time…” 

_ But why was she locked up here, while I ended up in that scary place?  _ Shuddering, Sango brushed the question away. They could figure it out later; right now, they needed to get to safety. 

“What do you know about the woman who kidnapped you?” She didn’t have any weapons, but maybe she would at least know enough about their captor’s breed to figure something out. “Is she a demon?” 

Kushinada shook Her head, but said nothing further. 

Sango tried again. “Is there a spell placed on your bindings?” 

The goddess’ eyes danced away. “I don’t know.” 

“Have you seen above the surface? Or is there somewhere else in all this water--”

“She plans to take me to where you were,” Kushinada interrupted. Frantic bubbles filled the water around her head as she spoke. “If She finds you here, we’ll  _ both  _ be sent behind the door, to be sacrificed to the Land-mother.” 

“Land...mother?” None of this made sense; in all her years of taijiya training, Sango had never heard such a title before. Perhaps humans and gods had different words for the same thing? 

“She thinks that it will make Her strong. But no one understands the Land-mother...” Kushinada looked up, glaring into the far-away surface. “We must get you free.”

“What about you?” Sweet as it was, Sango felt taken-aback. She wasn’t the one chained up; she wasn’t even their mysterious captor’s main target. When Kushinada looked back at her, it was with stunning kindness. 

“I’m not afraid. My husband will come for me.” Gentle fingers rested atop Sango’s head. “Yours would too, if he was able.” 

Sango’s heart stuttered.  _ Just how much could she know _ …

* * *

The cool stone beneath his palms was a welcome relief from the forest’s humidity. Kohaku crouched low, mask covering the lower half of his face, to follow Kilala’s lead around the side of the ravine. 

Any signs of a creature like Orochi--worn-away underbrush, remarkably faint remains of ravaged rat and bird demon colonies, and no trace of human--had led them quite a ways from the river villages. It was his first time tracking a serpent of such caliber, though it wasn’t Kilala’s. She moved like a shadow despite the bright colors of her coat, teeth already bared. The scent of the bushes that they’d hid in earlier still clung to Kohaku’s slayer outfit, and he hoped it wouldn’t cause her trouble. 

Jaken had thrown quite the fit over his plan, claiming that it was: 1. unnecessarily foolish 2. not in line with their task and 3. unfair, because he would definitely be blamed by Inuyasha and the others when Kohaku undoubtedly perished. Kohaku had pointed out that with Orochi dead, then Okkoto would no longer have a justification to sacrifice the villagers, and it would be much easier to encourage them to rise against his forces. All that he’d been rewarded with was a long diatribe on how humans were hopeless anyways, and their support would make no difference in defeating the boar tribe. 

In the end, he’d convinced the kappa to take Shinjiro and Ah-Un to do reconnaissance on the town across the river, even though it had taken a promise that Jaken could use his staff against any boar demon that he came across and Kohaku wasn’t allowed to complain. 

Leaving Shinjiro alone with Sesshomaru’s retainer hadn’t been his choice. But when he’d asked if the other boy wanted to come along on the serpent-hunt (only hoping a little bit that it might remind him of the time they’d defeated the rat yokai together, and the hand-holding that had followed), he’d been soundly rejected. 

Which wasn't weird. Normal people would be nervous to seek out the creature that had killed so many of their friends and family. It wasn't because of anything Kohaku had done.

Right? 

A sharp growl echoed in his ears, and he shook himself.  _ That’s right. Focus.  _

Kilala paused, nose turned up. Kohaku followed her line of sight and spied it immediately: a dark slash close to where the stone morphed into tightly packed dirt, then into more trees. It was set at an angle, and would be easy to miss just a few steps more in either direction. 

It wasn’t until they were right in front of it, Kohaku astride the demon cat’s back, that the scent of decay flooded him, even through the mask. Swallowing hard, he bent close to Kilala’s ear and hissed, “Is it empty, do you think?” 

After waiting for a breathless moment, she moved to brace her two front paws against the rock. Muttering a thanks, Kohaku slid halfway into the darkness, arm held up in front of his face at the smell. 

It took several seconds for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. When it did, he couldn’t help but startle. If not for Kilala’s head bracing his back, he would have probably broken something with how far it was down into the ground. 

The hole in the stone spread into a broad cave, like the mouth of a giant creature. The floor was entirely covered in dead skin and bones--human and yokai alike. A grim, smiling face stared directly up at him--a skeleton, hacked into several pieces. 

When they were back on the ground, Kohaku yanked his mask off and took in several long breaths to clear his lungs “So Orochi has been dead for a while…”

Okkoto had lied to the townspeople. He had no intentions to save them--their enemy was already dead. There was no sign that the goddess, either, although Kohaku didn’t know whether that was a good or a bad thing. 

One thing was for certain, however. With Orochi dead, the river towns were free to heal from their terrible past. 

_ Sango isn’t the only one that I have a chance to save.  _


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Sesshomaru rolled over, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the sun’s brightness as it chased shadows across the fields before him. Tiny blue flowers littered what had only a day before been dry, parched grass; they matched the cloudless sky above. When he moved to check on the swords at his side, he found them already lying in the grass a few steps away. 

_Ah; this is a dream._

A casual hum from nearby immediately drew his attention. Arms circled around his shoulders in a rush, followed by teasing words. “Sulking as usual, hm?” 

In a flash, he was on his feet, gripping her shoulders. Kagura smirked up at him as if nothing was the matter--which, he supposed, was true for the moment. 

“Witch,” he snarled, though it sounded toothless to even his own ears. 

“You’re always so serious.” She shrugged off his hold as though it was nothing; flowers flattened beneath her feet with every step as she moved away. “What’s there for you to worry about?”

_What Okkoto is up to. Whether or not Shippo’s plan will work to put an end to it. How it all could affect Rin…_

“If I asked where you were, would the answer be true?” 

She scoffed loudly, tossing her head. “Of course not. This is _your_ dream. I can’t know anything that you don’t.” 

Obviously. An intelligent creature would put an end to this--awaken, and deal with the problem in its actuality. But then she suddenly moved back within his reach, arms winding around his waist. And perhaps it was better to be weak here, than anywhere else. 

“Return to my side,” he said quietly. “Wherever you are.”

Her laugh was a bright sound, as harsh as the sun that burned above them. “Maybe I’ll be there when you open your eyes.” 

“I don’t need childish lies to comfort me.” 

And though she clicked her tongue in scolding-- _though it wasn’t even real_ \--Kagura’s grip on him tightened. 

* * *

With a sigh, Miroku twisted his back one way, then the other. When his spine gave a few weak cracks, he settled back down and reached for the bowl of water that Rin had left behind that morning. On Sango’s other side, their son slept soundly; the thumb lodged solidly in his mouth muted his snores. While Jinenji’s arrival had been enough to amuse the twins, Miroku’s youngest son had become especially clingy since Shippo’s departure. Not that he had any objection to keeping him close. 

“My dear.” Keeping his voice low, the monk addressed his wife. “Kaede says you may be aware of what is going on while you are in such a state. If this is the case, I must apologize for what I said yesterday while in Lady Kagome’s presence.” 

Water threatened to spill as he set the bowl down a little too roughly by his knee. He was much more careful in freeing her arm, still speaking quietly so as not to wake Mushin. “It was indeed overly negative, to suggest that there is nothing else that can be done for you. I hope that when you regain consciousness, you will forgive me.” 

Methodically, he dipped the edge of a piece of cloth into the water. As an afterthought, he added, “Indeed, as you have much practice in forgiving me, it shouldn’t be too difficult…” 

He went silent for a moment, focusing instead on pressing the damp cloth to each part of her hand, paying special attention to the veins in her wrist where, according to Lady Kagome, all of the blood in the body flowed at some point. Rounded scars stamped the back of Sango’s knuckles on this hand; he already knew that when he turned it over, her palm would be marked with a line from where a blade had once cut through the skin. 

“When considering why I would succumb to such hopelessness, I hope that you will attribute it to simple human weakness, instead of doubting the depth of our attachment. The very idea of living without you--” His voice broke, and though there was no one conscious enough to hear it, Miroku still covered it with a soft chuckle. “Your daughters would take over the house in a heartbeat.” 

Laying Sango’s hand over her chest, he reached for the other, only to see that it was trapped beneath Mushin’s tiny shoulder. He resigned himself to running the cloth over the curve of her brow instead--not for the sake of cleanliness, but simply to have a reason to touch her. It was years now that he’d been able to openly engage in such casual physical intimacy, without the fear that it would instill false hope or be viewed as a come-on. Yet, even after all this time, it still felt precious. 

“The children--they are starting to worry about you. With Shippo and Kohaku gone for the moment, there are few distractions for them.” He quickly added, “Of course, I don’t say this to add to the hurt that you must be feeling; wherever you are, Sango, you are no doubt working hard to return to us.” 

Still asleep, Mushin shifted to nuzzle his cheek harder against Sango’s arm. The sight of it made Miroku’s chest hurt. Tracing the fading bruise around her temple with the tip of his finger, he sighed, “Ah, and though I doubt that it will be much motivation, I wish for us to finish our difficult conversation from before. Winning the argument simply because you are incapacitated can not appease me.” 

“You two had an argument?” 

Miroku jumped, nearly spilling the entire bowl of water onto his wife. Mushin’s thumb pulled away from his mouth with a _pop_ , as his eyes squinted open. 

Rin bobbed her head in apology; in her arms, she held the box where the villagers left offerings for the fire god altars, now empty. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt, I just--” 

“No, no, it’s quite alright.” It was chilling, how easily his facial muscles shifted into that old smile. _Nothing’s wrong, I’m fine, don’t pity me._ “I should be the one to apologize. After all, we are the ones invading your healing space.” 

“Not at all.” Rin shook her head, walking over to place the box by the opposite wall, where sheafs of healing herbs had been laid out to dry along rows of empty glass bottles. “Kaede says it’s fine for you to stay until Sango’s better.” 

With a yawn, Mushin pushed himself to his feet. Miroku held his arms out, and the toddler walked around Sango’s body to slump against his father’s chest, eyes closing once more. 

“Um...” Rin shuffled from foot to foot. A worn, yellowed scroll was clutched in one hand. “Any changes?” 

Miroku brushed a hand over Mushin’s head, effectively covering his ear while appearing to only be ruffling hair. “Nothing yet. I fear that she’ll still be like this by the time Kohaku returns.”

At the mention of the taijiya boy, Rin’s expression shifted into one of worry. The cause of it was obvious enough-- _what if he doesn’t find out anything useful?_

Miroku nodded at the paper in her hand. “What’s that?” 

Rin’s teeth sunk into her bottom lip. Leaning forward, she held it out so that he could see the scrawled characters. “It’s the ritual that Kohaku used to resurrect Nagisa, once. She suggested that we try it.”

“ _She_ suggested it?” Miroku frowned. If he recalled correctly (and his memory was one of the few things that he prided himself on), Nagisa had not been the most pleasant of the goddesses that they’d interacted with before. Granted, she had no reason to wish harm towards Sango, but then again she had no real reason to want to help them either. “Rin, that ritual is not meant to work on normal human souls.”

“Nothing else that we do is working.” Rin’s eyes flicked down to Mushin, sleeping against his father’s chest, and back up. “I know it’s not quite the same, but perhaps we could try?” 

Miroku sighed. “I don’t know if we should do something like this without Lady Kagome assisting.” 

“She’s been a bit distracted with Minako lately, though.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Rin’s eyes widened with guilt, and she slapped a hand over her mouth. “Ah, I’m so sorry! I don’t mean to speak ill of her!” She bowed her head towards the door, as though willing the apology to fly its way to wherever Kagome happened to be. 

“I understand what you meant.” Unease spiraled in the hollow of his throat; he pushed away the acknowledgment of how the discomfort appeared to radiate through one arm ( _it’s gone, it’s been gone for a long time, there’s no need to check.)_ “I think she’ll be back this evening. Perhaps we should present the idea to her then.” 

Rin tilted her head. “Back from where?” 

* * *

Though it had been a few months since Kagome had spent any time there, the forest next to the village seemed completely unchanged compared to her last visit. Inuyasha’s shoulders seemed to relax as soon as they stepped into the trees; his fingers squeezed around the hand that she wasn’t using to carry their food basket. 

Despite the welcoming glow of sun through the leaves, she still checked back over her shoulder for what had to be the hundredth time. Jinenji’s mom had insisted they have their picnic alone in the woods while she took Minako; it was sweet, despite the added insistence that perhaps Kagome should be feeding her more ( _part-yokai children need more sustenance than regular kids_ , blah blah blah). Right now, it felt like Kagome had left one of her limbs at home.

“It’s good we’re doin’ this today.” Inuyasha said, lifting his head upwards to catch a full breath of the forest scents. “My senses’ll start to go tomorrow, an’ the day after that’s the new moon.” 

“Uh-huh.” 

His face fell into one of slight annoyance. “And the day after that, I’m moving to the wolf colonies to pledge my allegiance to Koga.”

“Sounds nice.” 

He stopped short, causing her to bump into him with a squeak. “Ka _go_ me.” 

“What? I’m listening!” She tucked a loose lock of dark hair behind one ear, and Inuyasha was struck silent for half a second because of how the sunlight streaming through the trees hit at _exactly_ the right moment to make her look extra pretty. 

Embarrassed ( _they’d been married for like three years, he shouldn’t be so dumb)_ , he shook himself and muttered, “Nothing. If you don’t wanna be out here--” 

“No, no, I do!” Looking around quickly, she pointed deeper into the trees. “Look, let’s find somewhere nice to sit and eat. And then...maybe we could…”

He raised his eyebrows. “Maybe we could what?” 

Kagome’s eyes glistened hopefully. “Take a nap?” 

Inuyasha stared at her for a full second before replying. “A nap sounds amazing. I’m fucking exhausted.” 

“Oh my gosh, me too!” Squeezing his hand, she gave her husband a wide smile. “I love Minako to pieces, but an hour of uninterrupted sleep in the shade sounds _dreamy_.” 

“Well, let’s hurry up and eat first.” Leaning down to peck her on the lips, he moved forward through the trees. Pushing away the sensation that she was forgetting something important, Kagome followed. 

* * *

Gods, he hated all this itchy, tall grass that kept scratching him. Daichi let loose a loud groan, glaring at his dad’s back. 

“Dad, we’ve been walking for forever--like, literally a million years. And we haven’t taken a nap once. Aren’t we there _yet_ ?” 

Okkoto froze, lifting the wind jar up towards the sky. When he started bellowing, it shocked Taichi enough that the young boar physically flinched. 

“O Goddess, please forgive my insolent and brainless charge! He does not deserve to taste your glory!” 

“Dad--”

“Bless you, Goddess Izuna, for gifting us with our greatest weapon, which we now take into the very home of the villain who hath slain your kind!” 

“Come on--”

“We will use this undeserved gift to destroy _all_ that he claims is his. This is our great purpose--far greater than _napping_!” 

“Sheesh, weren’t you the one talking about stealth?” Taichi yawned, scratching the bandages on his wounded arm. At this point, they’d been walking for so long that his legs felt numb. “Someone’s going to hear you going on like that, and then we’ll get caught.” 

His father whipped around in shock, bringing the jar down to cradle it in his arms again. “Taichi...perhaps you have some tactical awareness in you after all!” 

“Whatever.” Yawning again, he rubbed both eyes with his hands. “If we’re going to the Yellow Valley, why isn’t General Ikue with us? She’s good at that kinda stuff.” 

“She will be completing the human sacrifices in the river towns, and then moving along. The more human sacrifices we procure for her cause, the happier our goddess will be!” Okkoto shot a disdainful look over his shoulder. “This isn’t news, Taichi.” 

“You were complimenting me just a second ago,” the younger boar muttered. “Now you’re calling me dumb…”

“ _Despite_ how dumb you are, there will be much you can learn when we reach the Yellow Valley.” Spreading one arm out (the other holding the wind jar against his chest), Okkoto sing-songed, “All manner of prayers, proper spying techniques...If we’re lucky, we can even pick a fight with some wind yokai! Our sources say they still sniff around the temple there!” 

Here he went again. Maybe it was just because he was constantly being scolded, but Taichi wondered if there was truly something wrong with him. The young heir to the boar general, saved by gods--yet when he did say a quick prayer (if he remembered before going to sleep) or tried to focus during rituals, he always just felt hungry or tired.

He’d certainly never _talked_ to a deity, the way his father and several of the other boar tribe members had. 

Okkoto continued to yammer on, crouching low to the ground so that the grasses covered his back. Taichi followed silently; at this point, he was pretty good at tuning his father out. The itchiness in his arm wound certainly helped, with how hard it was getting to ignore...

* * *

_Twenty boar yokai. Dead in minutes, yet none of them are of any importance._

Sesshomaru sheathed Bakusaiga with a growl. “Must all of your attacks be so childish _?”_

Massaging his jaw with both hands (yeesh, boar hide was tough, even with his Enhanced Bite Attack), Shippo glared up at the daiyokai. “They are not--this is high-level stuff at the Kitsune Academy!” 

Sesshomaru was already starting to get a headache from the sense of deja vu. He’d thought that perhaps they’d been luckier today, when the scent of boar yokai hit just as they reached the edge of the Yellow Valley. The change in direction would thus have been a happy accident twice over, as their presence meant Okkoto's usual trick of hiding out by the border was likely no longer in play while also putting them in closer proximity to resources necessary for Shippo's plan. But none of the infernal creatures had been Okkoto, or any of the generals from the tribe with whom he was familiar. At least they’d had the decency to challenge him, so he had a decent excuse to rip them limb from limb. 

“I can see the cliffs that my friends told me about,” Shippo said, managing to keep from sounding sulk-y. Sesshomaru was just as bad as Inuyasha was in a fight, hogging all of the opponents for himself. He had to remind the daiyokai why he’d brought him along in the first place, or else he could get sent home. “Inari’s temple should be somewhere over there.” 

Sesshomaru nodded to the backpack, which looked a bit flatter than before. “Is there sufficient means for an offering, or has it been destroyed?”

Face falling, Shippo opened the pack and pulled out the rice stalks that he’d collected earlier. Some of them were badly bent or broken; he splayed the bundle out in the grass, picking through it for the best pieces. Though his jaw ticked with annoyance, Sesshomaru sat down to wait. 

While he worked, Shippo ran through the plan in his head again. 

First step was making an offering to Inari. She was the patron goddess of kitsune, or at least that was what his friends from the Academy had said. If Okkoto had one working for him, then finding one of their own was the best way to even the playing field. Since Sesshomaru had notoriously bad luck with them, Shippo was in charge of getting on the goddess’ good side. He was to ask for guidance with one thing mainly--where the heck was Okkoto hiding out?--and go from there. 

Hopefully, he would get an extra treat in the form of a new weapon, or a personal power-up (which was, in his opinion, the best case scenario), or if nothing else, just Inari’s permission to play a particularly nasty little trick using her likeness. 

Then (and this was perhaps the riskiest part of the plan), Shippo would transform into the image of Inari and challenge Okkoto openly-- _how dare_ _you use a weapon of the gods, you mortal fiend!_ Most likely, Okkoto would just start crying and hand the jar over. But even if he didn’t, then Sesshomaru would jump in and cut his head off. Either way, Okkoto would be done for. The stupid murdery jerkface...And, because he’d been nice enough to ask first, there was no chance that Shippo would be smited for daring to impersonate a deity! 

“What are you doing?” Sesshomaru’s tone sent a cold chill up Shippo’s spine; he realized he’d been pantomiming kicks and punches in the air, the rice forgotten.

“Uh, nothing! There was a bug.” Pretending to wipe his hands off on his shirt, he quickly diverted the topic to something he’d been wondering for a while. “Hey, if we’re this close to the valley, does that mean we’re not going to get Kagura after all?” 

Sesshomaru’s frown deepened. “There is no need.” 

“Why?” Shippo’s nose twitched. “Do you think she’s here?” 

If he was a regular person, perhaps Sesshomaru would have blushed. But, with his particular personality, Shippo could only guess whether he was embarrassed based on how long it took him to answer a question. 

“It’s not unlikely,” he said finally. “The more important reason is that the goddess Inari’s temple is located nearby--”

“Wind yokai like to hang out in the mountains, so it would make sense,” Shippo mused, tapping his chin. “If we run into her, won’t she just start arguing with you?” 

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes with disdain. “We have nothing to fight about.”

 _Like that’s ever stopped you before._ “I mean, she did turn down your proposal...” 

The glare that was sent in his direction could have scorched earth. “I am still awaiting an answer.” 

“Oh, yeah.” Shippo turned to look at the mountains, then back at Sesshomaru. “Kagura doesn’t have another person she’s waiting on, like Inuyasha did with Kikyo. Right?”

Sesshomaru snorted. What a foolish idea--unworthy of a response. He was starting to miss Jaken; annoying as the imp was, he at least was respectful, and not half as nosy as the kitsune seemed to be. 

“Then what’s holding her back, do you think?” 

Who could say? It was not possible to understand Kagura’s moods. She had always been volatile and inconsistent. 

“She is the only one who could say.” 

Shippo sighed and went back to pawing through the stalks of rice. Back when the group had been traveling, Miroku was always up for some gossip; Sango and Kagome had been pretty easily persuaded into it, too. But it seemed like it would take quite a bit of effort to get anything good out of Lord Sesshomaru. _What a guy._

“Don’t worry,” he replied, almost absentmindedly. “She probably still likes you and everything--some people are just afraid of commitment.” 

Sesshomaru turned, hiding his facial expression from view. Eyes locked on the white-gray mountains ringing the valley, he muttered, “What a strange thing to say…” 

“I mean, getting married is one thing if you’re marrying a _normal_ guy. But you’ve got all these people to protect, and clans starting wars and stuff.” Wrapping the new bundle of rice up in one of his clean shirts and sticking it back in his backpack, Shippo continued, “Sounds pretty stressful to me. Kagome and Inuyasha don’t even do all that much now, and they’re still--” 

When he looked up, Sesshomaru was already several hundred steps away. 

“Hey! Lord Sesshomaru!” Yanking the backpack straps over his shoulders, Shippo hurried after him. “Wait for me!” 

* * *

As carefully as she could, Kagome slipped out from under Inuyasha’s arm. He must have been doing overnight watch on the wall again, to sleep _this_ soundly in the middle of the day. Stepping over the empty picnic basket, she stretched both arms up over her head with a soft noise. They must have napped for over an hour, based on the sun’s position through the trees. 

The forest was _beautiful_ at this time of day--brown and green alit by a golden glow quickly deepening into orange. Being this close to the village, there were several well-trodden paths that, based on which way she went, would take her to a thatch of berry bushes, or a dried up creek, or Kagura’s abandoned hut. 

Beyond that...her smile fell as she thought of Sango, wading deeper into the woods, right into the arms of danger. Shaking her head to clear it, she turned down the path leading to the creek.

Inuyasha would probably be annoyed at her for just walking off, even though she wasn’t going far at all. But Kagome hadn’t been alone, _truly_ alone, for more than a few minutes in almost a year. 

Bird calls echoed in the trees above as she walked. With a deep breath in, the priestess rolled both shoulders back. The heaviness of everything that waited for her back at the village lifted with every step. 

When she’d jumped back down the well, she hadn’t been thinking of a difficult future. Despite everything they’d gone through with Shikon Jewel, part of Kagome had genuinely believed that the happy ending part would be easy. Or at least _easier._ She’d be with Inuyasha again; Sango and Miroku would finally get to have the future they’d dreamed of; Rin and Shippo and Kohaku would get to live out the rest of their childhoods in peace…

And it wasn’t that those things hadn’t happened. But wishing the jewel away hadn’t made the scars from its deeds disappear. 

As they’d eaten lunch, Inuyasha had told her what happened between Miroku and Sango. Kagome knew it was a private matter between her two friends, and not her responsibility to fix--but she couldn’t stop thinking about it. In the past, she’d always felt drawn to take Sango’s side in any argument between the two. But--and maybe it was because of her place out of time, knowing that she hadn’t grown up wielding a bow and arrow or purifying demonic energy--Miroku’s point kind of seemed to make sense. Why encourage their kids to grow up so fast? Even if it was for a good reason, could anyone _really_ be fully prepared to deal with the future? 

It wasn’t like she’d seen any of the crazy stuff with Kikyo or Naraku coming. If she’d known the pain placed in her path ahead of time, before she’d ever met her friends, perhaps she would have run from it. Refused to even go near the well. 

Obviously, since Fate seemed to be really pushy about everything, whatever she did probably wouldn’t have mattered. But the point was--no one really knew how the future would turn out. And there hadn’t really been much good in obsessing over the past, either. There had to be a sweet spot somewhere in the middle--

“Well, well. Lost your boomerang?” 

The hair on her arms stood up. Kagome twisted to her left to meet a pair of hateful yellow eyes. A boar yokai, dressed in a muddy soldier’s outfit, hauled himself up from the ground. As he lifted his arm to point at her, the nasty slash circling his right ribs triggered her healer’s instincts--swollen, crusted with yellowing pus, _definitely_ infected. 

“I’ll teach you a lesson from the last time, _human._ ” The boar snarled, hands curling into fists. 

_So much for a relaxing afternoon._ Kagome took a wary step back, the heel of one foot bumping a fallen branch. She crouched to the ground in pretend fear to grab it with both hands. “Last time? Do you think all humans look the same?” 

Instead of explaining, the boar lunged. 

* * *

“Can’t sleep?”

Shinjiro shook his head without looking up. Kohaku settled cross-legged beside him, pulling his kusarigama into his lap. Jaken had put his foot down over building a fire this close to the village; though the evening air wasn’t chilly tonight, the other boy was visibly shaking.

“What are you thinking about?”

He’d thought that the news of Orochi’s death would be comforting somehow--the creature that had killed Shinjiro’s mother, and brought his town so much misery, was gone forever. But he should have known better--after all, it had taken weeks after Naraku’s defeat for him to really believe it would stick. Existing so long without hope was like living with a disease; even when the root of it was finally ripped out, the fear of more tumors growing back would remain for quite some time.

Maybe it would always be there. 

Shinjiro’s hand moved up towards his mouth, before he yanked it down. “The people in the next town.”

Kohaku waited. Jaken had only waved away any questions about his reconnaissance mission, grumbling that there was nothing relevant for him to report. Still, the kappa had remained in a dark mood since they had all regrouped. 

“They must have tried to resist the boar tribe’s forces.” Shinjiro’s tone remained matter-of-fact. “Their bodies were stacked on the bridge.” 

“That’s awful. I’m sorry.” Kohaku moved to put a hand on his shoulder, but the sudden look that the other boy gave him made him freeze. 

“Look, the other night, I heard you talking to someone. When the rest of us were asleep, or seemed like we were.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I thought I heard--well, it sounded like you said--” 

_Oh no._ Panic shot through him like he’d been run through with a sword. _No, no, no--_

“Kohaku.” Shinjiro’s eyes drew him in. “Did you kill your father?” 

* * *

“Shit!” 

Kagura reared back, feeling her breath catch in her throat. Right in front of her, the path (and the pool-studded grass on either side of it) suddenly fell away into a gaping chasm. The clouds on all sides of her had hidden it up until she’d already had one foot forward. 

_What the hell kind of--_

Before she could even finish her thought, a gust of wind rose from the chasm, morphing into a flesh-and-blood face with wide-set eyes and full lips. In one hand, the being carried a sickle that looked uncomfortably sharp. 

“Oh dear,” the spirit mused, pressing the tips of four fingers to her mouth. “I hope it’s not bad news...” 

Clenching her fan hard, Kagura forced herself to appear calm. “Is this the entrance to Fujin and Raijin’s realm?” 

Smiling from behind her hand, the spirit nodded. “It is.”

 _Finally; it’s about time all that walking got me somewhere._ “Where can I find Kushinada?” 

The spirit tilted her head, eyes wide. Her voice pitched with clear confusion. “Who’s that?”

 _Seriously?_ “That bastard Susasnoo said She--”

At the storm god’s name, the spirit gave an ear-splitting shriek. Kagura leapt back with a sharp curse. 

“ _We do not speak of Him here_ ,” the spirit warned, her expression contorted grotesquely. “ _None of His shall enter_!” Then her hand came up back to her mouth, all fury gone in the blink of an eye. “But you’re a wind yokai, so you should be fine.” 

Kagura stared unabashedly. Not for the first time, she wondered if everyone in this realm was fucking crazy. “So Kushinada’s not here, then?” 

Tilting her head again until it was at a rather uncomfortable looking angle relative to her neck, the spirit spoke slowly. “There is only one female deity in this realm-- Izuna, Goddess of the Western Sea. Shall I take you to Her?” 

Kagura’s heart picked up at an uncomfortable pace. She absolutely did _not_ want to see another one of those troublemaking brats from last summer, especially not the only one currently in possession of a wind jar. But if she went back to Susanoo’s realm empty-handed, then there was no reason to think He wouldn’t make good on His threat to murder her. “She’s here?” 

“Of course.” Leaning in to whisper as though they were old friends, the spirit added, “This is the best place to be, much better than where She was before. The realm of the Undivine is so barbaric, you know. Lately, there have been so many sacrifices. Horrific things; especially for humans, with their negligible lifespans...” 

“Sacrifices?” Kagura crossed both arms over her chest. “To Izuna?” _Who does that brat think she is, someone important?_

“No, no,” the spirit protested, cupping both hands around her mouth. “Fujin and Raijin would never, Izuna would never. Poor humans, sacrificed to the Land-mother…” 

Ah, finally something that sounded familiar. “That _is_ barbaric,” Kagura said, putting as much false sympathy into her voice as she could muster. “Especially since they’ll just end up there when they die naturally, anyway. Such a waste of time.” 

The spirit blinked at her in confusion. 

Kagura kept her expression neutral for another few seconds, before nodding towards the chasm. “You know what? I think I would like to see Her, after all.”

Full lips pulled back into a smile. “Yes?” 

“Yes.” A plan--risky, but at least it would be fun--was quickly forming in her head thanks to this lovely little discussion. “Oh, and please let Fujin know that I’m here. We don’t need to set up an audience or anything--I just want him to know.” 

“Of course.” Short fingers gripped her arm. “Hold on tight!” 

Then Kagura was a stream of air again, being sucked down, down, down.

_The foolish goddess Izuna, hiding in the Divine realm all along. And, if my suspicions are correct, lying through Her fucking teeth to everyone She meets..._


	17. Chapter Sixteen

Rin waded into the water, taking a deep breath. “I only have a few minutes.” 

The edge of her kimono darkened as the water hit it. She hitched it an inch higher, wishing she’d worn the shorter one so she could go even deeper. Nagisa and Akari’s whispers in her ears were always much clearer the farther in she went. 

_Rin…_

“Hello, Akari. Hello, Nagisa.” She gnawed on her bottom lip, eyes tracing the pattern of light across the water’s surface. Over the past few days, she’d made a routine of visiting first the fire altars and then the lake altar-- _please help me help Sango. Help Shippo be brave and helpful to Lord Sesshomaru. Please keep Jaken, Ah-Uh, and Kohaku safe._

Nagisa had told her in no uncertain terms, before, that they would do nothing for her Lord. But Rin always made a wish for him anyway, just in case they changed their mind someday. What Jaken had said about Okkoto kept popping up in her thoughts--even though Lord Sesshomaru was more than capable of handling all kinds of threats, there had to be something strange going on if he’d needed to ask goddesses a bunch of questions about it. Rin wondered if he’d ever share it with her, or if it was one of those things he preferred to keep to himself. After all, Lord Sesshomaru was very cautious to keep her out of danger, especially after the events of the previous year. Even if such a thing wasn’t completely in his control…

Akari’s voice moved through her ears like honey. _What can we do for you, Rin?_

“I’m worried about my friends. It seems like everyone’s in danger right now.” Glancing down, Rin could just barely see her shadowed reflection in the water. The pain of her worries felt like that--not as clear and sharply defined as it had been, some time ago. It scared her, the thought that she might end up there again. In a dark corner, unable to see any hope or peace. 

“But I’m especially worried about Lady Kagura. Everybody seems to think that she just ran off. They’re focusing on the other problems we have going on. But something doesn’t feel right about it to me…” 

A tiny wave slapped against her shin, splashing the edge of her kimono. Rin frowned. 

“I know that you don’t like her too much either, but...just tell me. If she’s in trouble, and if there’s anything I can do?”

The water around her stilled, almost eerily. Then a soft rush of wind hit her back, sending a prickle up her spine. Rin twisted her head around, Kagura’s name already on her tongue. 

But, as usual, there was no one there. 

* * *

Shaking, Kohaku bent his head to avoid Shinjiro’s eyes. The pain of nails digging into both palms was the only thing keeping him from bolting up and running away, deep into the forest where his past couldn’t find him. 

“I was eleven,” he croaked finally. Was it a defense? An explanation? “A spider demon, Naraku, possessed me.” 

Shinjiro swallowed audibly--it sounded like judgment, and so Kohaku continued.

“My body was like his puppet. I killed many, many people at his behest. All memories of who I was disappeared--and when they came back, that was worse.” Pressing harder, he felt the calloused skin of his palms split even further. “It’s only because of Sango, and the sacrifices of many others, that I survived.” 

Shinjiro’s eyes moved down to the kusarigama at Kohaku’s waist--because why wouldn’t he look there? How else would anyone, no matter what _they’d_ done, be able to view him but as a monster once they knew? 

Kohaku would always carry such a burden. It had nothing to do with fairness; it was simple human nature, to view people in shades of black or white. In the eyes of someone who didn’t know him, he would be a savior. In the eyes of someone who did, he was only something to be feared and troubled by. 

But he’d never wanted to witness the change of vision in a person like this. 

_See, Shinjiro? You don’t have to apologize anymore, or feel like you’re the only person who’s made mistakes. After all, asking people to die to save you isn’t quite the same as plunging the blade in yourself._

_Is it a relief to know that?_

“If you’re wondering if it could happen again,” he said, pushing himself to stand, “then I don’t have a clear answer for you. Naraku is dead, as is the prize that he sought. But many creatures like him, capable of manipulating humans, still exist.” 

“Kohaku.” Shinjiro sounded subdued. Most likely, he regretted bringing it up; though probably not as much as Kohaku did. “I’m--”

“Rest up. The boar tribe are likely planning to sacrifice humans on the day of the new moon. We need to decide what we’re going to do.” 

Without another look back, he disappeared behind the trees. Darkness swallowed him, like the cave where Orochi’s body lay. Breaths left his lips in shallow wheezes, but he didn’t--couldn’t--slow down. 

_Three memories…just need three...Ugh, why can’t I think?! Why did I say that out loud that night? Why does everything always go so wrong..._

His feet moved mechanically. A minute later, the brush of something against his shin made him realize he wasn’t alone. 

“Walking off by yourself with so many boar yokai crawling around. How stupid.” 

“Jaken.” Rubbing one hand under his eye, Kohaku realized his face was wet. “Did you hear--” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Knocking his elbow hard against Kohaku’s leg, Jaken muttered, “Unlike some people, _I’m_ not a snoop. I simply appreciate what a brisk walk can do in clearing the mind, especially with the task we have ahead of us.” His eyes narrowed, as though he was looking upon visions of a dark future Kohaku couldn’t see. “After all, only a long and painful death awaits us if we let Lord Sesshomaru down…” 

* * *

Inuyasha had snapped wide awake upon hearing Kagome scream the first syllable of his name. By the time she reached the second, he was already racing to find her. 

_Stupid, stupid, stupid--_ What kind of an idiot was he to leave her alone, when there was all kind of dangerous shit happening? Who cared if he was exhausted or stressed out, what a basic fucking mistake--

He barely registered the scene in front of him--Kagome, absolutely _whaling_ on the screeching boar that lay prostrate in the grass by her feet with a tree branch--before he had the damn demon by the throat. 

Just before Inuyasha’s claws made contact with the boar’s eye, Kagome shouted, “Don’t kill him!” 

Sweat, panic, fear--blood, not human--ugh, something _rotten--_

“Inuyasha!” A hand gripped his shoulder. The boar beneath him writhed, shrieking something that turned into a groan of pain as Kagome thudded the branch against his broad nose. 

None of the blood smell was hers, but he just had to make sure--keeping his hold tight, Inuyasha risked turning his head towards his wife. “You hurt?”

She shook her head, breathing hard. “No, he didn’t get me.” 

“Good.” A growl rumbled in his chest, and he shook the boar like a rag doll. “Any last words, ya little--”

 _“I said_ _don’t_ _kill him!_ ”

“Are you fucking serious?” Inuyasha snapped, resisting the urge to shake off her grip on his arm. “What the hell you wanna spare him for?” 

“Maybe he knows something about what happened to Sango!” Shouldering the branch, she argued, “We need to interrogate him!” 

“Interrogate--are you crazy, woman?”

Her arm came around his elbow, prodding the boar’s side. He reacted with a sharp keening that made Inuyasha’s ears fold back. 

“See? He’s wounded, probably from Hiraikotsu.”

Grumbling, Inuyasha pushed the flat of his palm harder against the boar’s throat. “Start talking, pig. Now.” 

“Got nothing to say to you, _hanyou,_ ” came the grunted reply. “Or to your bi--”

“You might not be able to talk at all _,_ soon enough,” Kagome interrupted, ignoring Inuyasha’s growl as it climbed in volume. “That cut in your side’s pretty deep.” 

The boar inhaled as best as he could beneath Inuyasha’s grip. “Hurts like hell, too...”

“I’m a healer, you know. For humans and demons.” At his wide-eyed look, she gave a nonchalant shrug. “Just saying.” 

“If I tell you,” the yokai grumbled, feet scrabbling in the dirt, “then you could--” 

“Hurry up and say something good, then,” Inuyasha snarled. “She might be more gracious than I am, but neither of us are _patient.”_

* * *

Frustration bubbled in Sango’s chest as she pulled vainly at the vines binding the goddess’ arm.

Nothing in this damn place made sense--she’d swum for what felt like hours in multiple directions, never seeming to find anything other than the one door. She’d even swallowed her fear and swam _down_ into the darker waters, trying to see where the makeshift chain led. Each time, she returned empty-handed. Nothing she could remember about her previous experiences with water goddesses was any help, either.

Maybe this place was just some kind of complex illusion? But then there had to be a key holding it all together...

“It’s alright,” the goddess said for what felt like the hundredth time. Her eyes fixed on Sango’s face, watching serenely as she struggled. “My husband will come to free us.” 

_He’s certainly taking his time with it,_ Sango thought privately. Simply waiting to be rescued felt uncomfortable, like sitting in wet clothes. And since she was technically at fault for Kushinada’s capture, how could she just sit around and do nothing? 

“You mentioned my husband, earlier,” she said, digging into the seaweed with her nails. “How did you know I was married?” 

“You called his name, when you were trapped on the other side of the door,” came the soft reply. Pink spotted each of Kushinada’s freckled cheeks.   
“You could see me?” _Hear me?_

“In a way. It’s hard to explain to a human.” Her lower lip disappeared beneath a row of teeth. “When I ascended, I gained the ability of knowing.” 

If there was more to the explanation, She didn’t offer it. 

“What do you _know_ about Miroku?” 

Kushinada blinked, dark eyelashes moving slowly through the water. “He was once doomed. Now he’s not.” 

“What would the--the Land-mother think about that?” 

The question was unexpected, from the way the goddess’ eyebrows peaked. But it was only one of many questions beating against the walls of Sango’s mind. The Land-mother--the ruler of the place behind the door, the intended recipient of Kushinada if their captor had her way and sacrificed them both. A being that Kushinada Herself had said that no one understood…

“When I was stuck behind the door, that place used my memories of him. My brother, my father. All of my friends.” _My children._ “Is She capable of knowing, too?” 

Kushinada nodded slowly. It was hard to say if her look of discomfort was because the questions were difficult, or if Sango was not supposed to have the privilege of asking them of Her. 

“She was one of the first,” She said finally.

“First what?” 

Kushinada looked down, eyebrows knitting together. “Everything.” 

Sango glanced down to see what She was looking at-- her own hands, shaking so much they tangled in the vines. Gritting her teeth, she tried to force them still, to no avail. Her mind flashed back to the previous summer, when Kagome had tried to drink from the red cup.

_Humans aren’t supposed to spend too long in divine worlds._

Movement brushed the top of her skull--ripples, coming from the surface. Kushinada gasped, sending bubbles flying around her head. 

“What the--” Sango looked up. The light, far ahead and somehow unreachable, flowed and shifted. Kushinada shoved her away, voice tight with alarm. 

“She’s here.” 

* * *

The wind spirit chattered pointlessly as she dragged Kagura through stone halls to wherever the fuck Izuna resided. She seemingly unperturbed by the random crashes of thunder or roars of wind in the distance. Likewise, Kagura’s expletive-laden response to slipping on a random river of water running through one hall didn’t even slow her down.

Finally, she paused in front of a wooden, lacquered doorway. “This is it! I’ll go tell Fujin that you’re here.”

Heart thudding so hard she thought it might jump up and out of her throat, Kagura tried to collect her thoughts. This wouldn’t be a normal fight, but hopefully that would then turn it more in her favor. _It’s not like I’m fighting Fujin, himself..._

The doors opened to a large room. The entire back wall dissipated in huge, blue-tinted clouds, and most of the floor was taken up by a pool of dark water that slickened the surrounding stones. Kagura wondered why the hell the gods seemed to care so little for anything solid and stalwart; she liked open air as much as the next demon, but it wouldn’t please her bare feet to be _constantly_ damp. 

A square of wood, laden with platters of food, was tucked in the corner of the room--almost invisible by her vantage point by the door. A woman sat there, calmly eating. Long white hair, tucked behind Her ears, hung thickly down Her back. She didn’t look up as Kagura walked towards her. 

“Hey.” Fan held tight in her right fist, Kagura cleared her throat. “Izuna, right?” 

The sitting woman’s back straightened. Placing Her food down, She stood--bare feet planting easily on the floor. When She turned to look up at Kagura, the sorceress had to swallow a laugh. 

_She’s the_ **_oldest_ ** _?_

The goddess’ full height was remarkably short; the top of Her head was in line with Kagura’s chin. With the white hair, it brought back an uncomfortable memory of standing before Hakudoshi, waiting for some petulant order. Gods, she’d thought that resurrecting would mean enjoying her new life, instead of constantly reliving the stupidest parts of the old one...

The goddess’ mouth slackened as She appraised Kagura. When words finally left Her tongue, the voice that held them was just as scornful as the bright woman that Kagura had met earlier, on the path. 

“You’re the wind demon that _He_ resurrected.” 

Unfolding her fan slowly, Kagura replied, “And You’re one of those annoying creatures He threw away.”

A flash of suspicion, followed by a wide smirk, uncurled across the goddess’ face. Then She shuffled around the table, gesturing to the place that She’d just left. 

Telling her heart to stop beating so damn fast already, Kagura moved to sit. 

“I can think of a few reasons why you might be here,” Izuna said, leaning both elbows on the wooden surface. Fingers danced along Her jawline with barely contained curiosity; Kagura wondered if it got boring, causing everybody problems. 

“Guess away.” Red eyes flicked over the plated offerings--did they just make food magically appear,here, or was there some kind of divine forest with divine farmers and fruit-pickers, involved? Regardless, she resolved not to touch any of it, even if the bitch offered. If she got stuck in this place, for hell’s sake...

“You’re not a goddess, so you can’t have ascended like me.” Izuna chuckled a bit, like she’d just told a joke. Then Her voice softened a bit. “Were you here to see my uncles, and they wanted to show me off?” 

_Not much to show, if you ask me._ Kagura glanced sideways towards the pool instead of answering. 

Izuna picked something off the plate nearest to Her--a claret-fleshed fruit, leeching purple-red juice--and nibbled at it. It was oddly reminiscent of the Lady of the Sky Castle, except all wrong; a child, trying desperately to seem like an adult. “Ah, but I doubt that’s it. Most creatures tend to stay on their own side of the realms, now. Too many side effects, unless you’re called.” 

_Called--is that the term they used taking anyone minding their own damn business and dragging them through the veil between the different realms?_ A surge of rage warmed her stomach, thinking of Susanoo’s smug expression. 

“Ah.” Izuna swallowed. “Are you here because you found out I ascended, and you want to offer your services?” 

Kagura forced herself to meet the goddess’ eyes (dark brown, almost black). “I don’t think you really need me, with a whole boar tribe at your disposal.” 

Sharply, the goddess leaned over the table. Kagura flinched backwards; Izuna smiled proudly as She pulled back, a scarlet cup held tight in Her hands. She sipped from it noisily for a few moments before answering. 

“I welcome any creature that recognizes my divinity. The more devotees, the more power.”

Power, again. Kagura dug the nails of her left hand into her thigh. That was all these beings gave a fuck about, no matter if it screwed things up for other people. “What, whoever has the most humans or demons fawning over them wins?” 

Izuna shrugged. 

“Why bother with Kushinada, then?” 

The cup slipped from Izuna’s grasp, falling into her lap. She caught it before it could roll to the floor, setting it back on the table. A look of pure rage contorted Her expression, eyes turning poisonous. Kagura felt the old twist in her stomach, alarm bells in her brain screaming at her to run away before she ended up in chains--but she couldn’t. 

Not yet. 

“So _He_ sent you, then,” Izuna spat. “A mortal demon, his little party trick, to challenge _me?_ ”

“Don’t throw a tantrum over it. It’s not like I wanted to be here.” Crossing both arms over her chest and the precious organ held within it, Kagura risked a quick roll of the eyes. “If he hadn’t threatened me over it, then I wouldn’t even be here.” 

Izuna’s shoulders relaxed a hitch. She picked up another sliver of fruit off of Her plate and started to chew. In a moment, she looked more like a bored teenage girl, than a vengeful goddess. “You could just stay, then. He can’t reach it, anyway.” Her throat fluttered as she swallowed; blue veins snaked like rivers down to her collarbone. She turned towards the pool of water and Her mouth drooped thoughtfully. “My Uncles wouldn’t mind it.” 

In another life, that might have seemed like the perfect solution to Kagura’s problem. Stay in a realm where Susanoo couldn’t touch her, in a realm ruled by the wind, left to her own devices. But she had other things ( _other people_ ) to worry about, nowadays. 

Plus the brat had, on top of everything else, called her resurrection a party trick. 

“They’d certainly mind the methods your little devotees use, wouldn’t they?” 

Izuna snapped back to attention. The rage returned to Her expression, this time with an undercurrent of something else that Kagura much preferred-- _apprehension_. 

“I heard that the old gods don’t like the idea of human sacrifices.” Pressing a hand to her cheek, Kagura sighed in false concern. “Why would Okkoto, great leader of the boar tribe, start conquering human villages with much less bloodshed than usual, right after switching spiritual allegiances to a newly ascended goddess? Quite the puzzle, but the answer is simple--you want the humans for sacrifices.”

Pressing both hands to the tabletop, Izuna stood. “Perhaps you’re not as dumb as you look.” 

“And You’re somehow even _more_ of an idiot than I would have expected,” came the sharp reply. The goddess’s eyes widened in insulted surprise as Kagura stood over her, weapon unfolded. “Giving something that powerful to such an unworthy creature!” 

“What can I say; I take care of my own.” Izuna’s eyes flicked down to Kagura’s fan. The sorceress took a shallow breath, before folding it closed again. 

_Not until I find out where she put the damn girl. And warn her against sending Sesshomaru cryptic dreams, especially any threatening Rin, and--shit, I should have written some of this down._

“Still. It’ll be a miracle if he doesn’t break the damn thing.” She raised an eyebrow, daring the goddess to disagree. 

Izuna snorted. “So what if he does?” 

Well, She had a point there. The world would be much better off without something that could trap Kagura so entirely. Even so, Her flippance sent unease prickling across Kagura’s skin. “What, do human sacrifices get you an even more powerful piece of magical decor?” 

Laughter, just on the wrong side of childlike, bubbled from the goddess’ lips. Stepping towards the pool, She folded both arms behind Her back. 

“Do you know the story of the Land-mother? Many mortal beings don’t.” 

Kagura sighed audibly. “Her husband fucked Her over, for some reason. She wasn’t pretty anymore, or something like that.” 

“He _abandoned_ Her.” Water flooded over the tops of Izuna’s feet; She didn’t move away. “Trapped Her down in the Underworld. In Her anguish, She pledged to take two beings, for every one that He creates. Any deity that supports Him, has betrayed Her, in turn.”

It seemed like a pretty common thing, for gods to betray each other. Although, thinking of her own history with demons and humans alike, perhaps Kagura was a hypocrite for being judgmental in that way. Still, having already heard the story once and not cared for it much at that time, she put her focus instead on the surface of the water. Dark waves had started shifting, sending ripples towards the edge where she and Izuna stood. Calmly, the goddess stepped into the pool, letting the water rise past her ankles like she was slipping into a new robe.

“The Land-Mother birthed Raijin in the Underworld. He left, but He did not abandon her. Thus, a thread exists between both worlds. Once I discovered it, I could only think of how I could earn Her favor. What might this Land-Mother give me, in return for the humans that our enemies love so much? But recently, I’ve realized something.” 

She turned, giving Kagura a smile that was chilling for how youthful it looked.

“The life of a human is so short. It’s over in the blink of an eye, the cycle of a breath. War, famine, pestilence--the Underworld is bursting with human souls. More of them would please, but not impress her. I need something _special,_ to get what I--”

“For fuck’s sake,” Kagura interrupted with a groan. “You thought you’d give Kushinada to the Land-Mother as a sacrifice, I get it. Geez, why does it take all of You so long to get to the damn _point_?” 

“You’re the one who asked.” Izuna moved ever deeper. It reached Her shins, then Her knees, then Her hips, catching the ends of Her hair. 

Kagura swallowed hard, resisting the urge to race towards Her, grab the back of Her head and shove that smug little face beneath the surface. Stupid woman--wind jars and boar tribes were one thing, but fucking around with _the goddess of death_ was an entirely other level of crazy. Not even Okkoto would do something like that, and he was far from the sharpest knife in the belt. 

Both arms hung loose at Izuna’s sides, fingertips submerged. “Go back and tell my father. I want Him to know what’s to become of His pretty bride.” 

“I’m not His fucking messenger.” No matter how tight of a hold He had over her, Kagura would never allow anyone to label her in such a way. “Besides, I’m not leaving without Kushinada.” 

A high-pitched laugh echoed around the chamber. “Do you really think _you_ could defeat _me_?” 

“Not at all.” Kagura steeled herself. Despite the voice in her head screaming not to, she walked forward. 

The water that hit her toes was so cold, it sent pain spiralling up the nerves of both legs. Once, when she’d been the wind, Kagura had gone to the ocean in the middle of winter. She’d driven her form against thick patches of ice until it cracked, showing the blue-gray waves beneath. Their push and pull would have felt like this, if she’d had a body to suffer it, then. 

“I don’t have to defeat You,” she continued. “I’m not motivated by any sense of justice, or spiritual beliefs, or even a particular hatred for You. If it were up to me, I’d simply go about my business as if none of You bastard gods even exist.” 

Waves swallowed up her legs, and Kagura grit her teeth against the sting. She held her fan up across her shoulder, well away from the water. 

“I hold no loyalty to Your father. My plans for Him aren’t unlike Your own, in fact.” 

Izuna twisted to stare at her, surprise mounting as she saw how deep Kagura had walked into the water. The rise of her eyebrows, softening of her mouth--Kagura hoped she hadn’t been planning to show this form to the Land-Mother, because it looked positively ridiculous in it’s assumed vulnerability and immaturity.

“But if I’m going to go back to His part of this realm without being smited the second I’m back on that damn path, then I need Kushinada with me.” She paused, sensing that just a step ahead, the ground fell away. Standing where she was, the water reached just under her hips and encircled Izuna’s waist. “So. Either You hand Her over, or I tell Fujin and Raijin exactly what their precious little Izuna has been up to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the long wait <3


	18. Seventeen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. 
> 
> Lots to say. First of all: my deepest apologies for how long this has taken. It's been...quite the year. 
> 
> Second: I know a lot of people are heartbroken from the choices made by the Yashahime writers. I am so deeply disappointed with many things about the series myself. That being said, if you need to take time away from the fandom, or leave it entirely - especially if it's triggering to be here - then that is 100% okay. No judgment here. 
> 
> But for those of you who feel supported, healed, or distracted by works like this - then I will keep writing for you. Because we deserve better. <3 
> 
> Third: I have solidly decided that there will be a part three to this work. No telling when it will come around, since we are not quite at the finish line with this one; but keep an eye out for it. 
> 
> Fourth: Thanks to everyone who has stuck around despite my absence to offer kudos, comments, and other feedback. I appreciate you all v much.

“Stop groaning, already.” Inuyasha scowled in the direction of the young boar, lying flat on his back against the ground. Kagome had won their game of rock-paper-scissors and thus hurried back to the village for her healing basket, despite his assertion that they should just let the boar die already (from the smell of his infected wound, it didn’t seem like he had long to go). His legs were starting to hurt from where he crouched against the forest floor, waiting for her return. “Or else you’re gettin’ another kick to the head.” 

“Big talk,” the boar choked out, hands pressed hard to his chest, “for a demon who lets a pathetic human order him around. Must be the  _ halfling _ in you.”

A sharp pain erupted in his jaw as his fangs grit together. “Big talk yourself - my friend sliced you damn near in half without hardly trying.” 

“Disgusting little--”

“Is that why you attacked her? Ripped her soul out?”

The boar’s next words were hardly recognizable as he wheezed, shoulders tensing in pain. “Uh-uh. Blame the human with the  _ sticky paws _ for that one. We were just out for some fun.” 

Inuyasha snorted. “Don’t seem like you all have anything worth stealing.” 

“Our esteemed leader, Okkoto--” The boar kept talking over Inuyasha’s groan of  _ oh, here we go -  _ “was blessed by a goddess with instruments for creating sacrifices. That ingrate stole one. It is only through fate’s divine guidance that we ran into him, and had the opportunity to recover it. Although…” His mouth wormed into a frown. “Leaving me behind was definitely an asshole move. Stupid Taichi...” 

_ Divine guidance, my ass.  _ Much as Inuyasha hated to admit it, Kagome’s idea to interrogate the boar was working out much better than he’d thought. The idiot didn’t seem to know how to hold his tongue. “What a damn waste of time. You kill humans all the time - what’s doing it with a fancy sword gonna change?”

The boar’s head rolled, fixing hateful eyes on him. “The instrument isn’t a weapon, you stupid dog. It’s an apple.”

“Oh, an  _ apple,  _ of course, cause that makes so much more sense!” Swinging one leg out, Inuyasha was rewarded with a flinch. “Anyway - dead is dead.” 

The boar chuckled shortly, sending ice through Inuyasha’s veins. One arm slipped from his chest to the dirt; the other pressed into the side of his chest free of his wound. “Didn’t your little priestess ever tell you? Being killed and being sacrificed are  _ very  _ different things.” 

“Keh. Whatever.” He twisted to squint in the direction Kagome had gone off in.  _ What the heck is takin’ so long… _ “Explain it to me like I’m a little cult-y piglet, and maybe then I’ll let the priestess bandage you up. Emphasis on maybe.” 

A ragged sigh met his ears, followed by a pained grunting. Then: “Fine.  _ Killed _ is for vermin. Food, intruders, beings that don’t deserve life.  _ Sacrifice  _ is much more than the body - it is a devouring of the soul.” 

“By?” The image of Sango lying unconscious on the healing cot flashed in his mind; unease prickled up his spine at where this might be going. 

“Gods, usually. Tribe Leader Okkoto made good with one.” The boar exhaled softly; his lips quirked into a smile, as though recalling a beautiful memory. “When they partake in food of the other world, then their souls can be reaped properly for Her to feed.” 

Inuyasha flexed the claws on one hand; Kagome’s scent was still faint, meaning she was nowhere near by. What was keeping her? “Sounds like a lotta work for someone else’s benefit.” 

“Her benefit is our benefit - power begets power.” Cruel eyes rolled back in the demon’s head. “Not that a simple being like you would know anything about that. Living with humans,  _ by choice -  _ any sense of self-respect you might have had was quashed early.” 

“I ain’t the one dyin’ of a human-inflicted wound on a dirty forest floor.” 

The boar’s yellowing tusks stretched as his smile widened. “So it was her, then.” 

Inuyasha’s jaw tightened. “What?” 

“That damaged the apple.” Despite the cough that broke his sentences, his glee was unmistakable. “That’s why you accused me of ripping her soul out. And if it only took one bite, then Okkoto’s goddess will devour hers easily.” 

Fury spiked in his blood, turning his shout into a rough bark. “Shut your mouth--” 

At the same time as a familiar scent flooded his senses, the boar started coughing harder. Blood splattered down his chin to stain the front of his shirt. Inuyasha grimaced and turned to call, “Oi! Over here!” 

A large shape came into view, picking gingerly through the trees. 

“Jinenji?” Both ears flattened against Inuyasha’s head apprehensively. “Where’s Kagome?” 

The horse hanyou’s blue eyes darkened nervously as his gaze swept over the hacking boar’s body. Their picnic chest from earlier was tucked in the hollow of his broad chest like a baby. “She had to go back to Kaede’s healing hut.” 

Inuyasha’s heart sped up painfully. “Is it Sango?”

Jinenji nodded, shoulders hunching. Inuyasha swore loudly, before getting to his feet. 

“Hey!” The boar croaked, head rolling back. “Where are you going? You’re supposed to fix me!” 

“I got actual friends t’ worry about,” Inuyasha snapped back. “Besides, you got all that power from selling souls to your goddess, so I’m sure you’ll be fine.” 

The boar’s angry yelling faded away quite quickly, as they made their way back to the village. But from Jinenji’s frown, Inuyasha didn’t think he should expect anything good to be waiting for him there. 

* * *

Izuna’s small hands folded into fists. Her eyes couldn’t hold still - they flicked from where Kagura’s body broke the surface of the water to the fan resting on her shoulder. “Why would Raijin and Fujin believe any word you say against me?”

The wind witch held firm, forcing herself not to shiver. It was an old tactic, one she hadn’t needed to use in many years - but she slipped into it as easily as though it was a second skin. “Why not? It’d be easy enough to check up on - knowing him, Okkoto’s bragging about you to any creature that’ll listen. And then, you’ll be in real trouble--”

The goddess’s frown deepened, a dark slash on her cold face. “You don’t know _ anything _ about real trouble, demon.”

“Don’t interrupt me,” Kagura snapped. Izuna’s eyes widened as her tone shifted menacingly - no longer on the edge of bargaining, now simply a  _ threat.  _ “Getting involved in sacrifices was your own fault; if your Uncles throw you out of this realm for it, then Susanoo won’t wait a second before taking his revenge on you.”

At that, Izuna seemed to shrink. Her hands remained fisted, however, so tight that it wouldn’t surprise Kagura to see the skin crack.

“And don’t think that killing me will hide what you’ve done - Fujin already knows I’m here, thanks to that weird messenger. It’ll look odd if I don’t leave this place in one piece. So, come on.” Kagura tossed her head, eyes scanning the room. “Get Kushinada out from wherever you’ve stashed her, before I make things even worse for you.” 

“How dare--”

“ _ Now. _ ” Kagura tapped her fan against her shoulder pointedly. The goddess’ face screwed up in a manner reminiscent, once again, of Hakudoshi about to throw a tantrum. With a frustrated noise, she twisted around.

At the end of the pool, where it melted away into mist, waves started to churn. Rising to a height higher than Kagura’s head, the water folded in on itself to send a rush of froth towards her. Reaching down beneath the waves, Izuna pulled free what looked like a chain of seaweed. Muttering curses under her breath, she gave it several rough tugs. 

Kagura stepped back, nearly falling over, as a pair of heads broke the surface of the water only a few feet away from her. Sputtering, both beings half-swam, half-floated closer, faces drawn with shock. 

“Kagura?” One of the women brushed sopping wet bangs back with both hands - despite the bubbles clinging to her chin, it was unmistakably Sango. “Is that you?” 

“Yo.” Eyes widening, Kagura gave her a little salute. “Didn’t expect to see you here.” 

Sango’s mouth opened, probably to begin a million questions, but her attention was quickly broken as the other woman in the water gave a yelp. 

“And you must be Kushinada.” Kagura glared out of the corner of her eye at Izuna, who still clutched the seaweed chain like she wanted to strangle all three of them with it. “Glad to see you’re still in one piece.” 

“Where’s Susanoo?” The freckle-faced goddess’ eyes locked fearfully on Izuna, as Sango dragged her closer to the stones lining the pool’s edge. 

Kagura rolled her eyes. “Waiting for us to get back, probably. So it would help if you’d move a bit more quickly.” She turned to watch them crawl out of the water, lips pursing thoughtfully. Kohaku would be pleased that Sango seemed to be alright, at least in this dimension; hopefully getting her back to where she was supposed to be wouldn’t be too difficult. Then all she had to do was drop Kushinada off, rip Susanoo a new one, and go home to deal with her own problems. All in all, a very productive day--

Something hit her square in the back, hard enough to bruise. She stumbled forward, but a friendly wind helped to steady her before she fell. 

“ _ Why are you helping Him _ ?” Izuna shouted, fists held in front of her. Tears streamed freely down her face; the water around her waist roiled with an angry wind. “ _ He abandoned you, same as me, you stupid mortal!”  _

The muscle in her jaw ticked. Calmly, she tossed her fan over to where Sango and Kushinada sat, wringing out their robes. “Keep this dry, would you?” 

“Kagura,” Sango called back, “We need to--” 

But the wind witch had already turned back around, teeth bared. Gripping Izuna’s sleeves tight, she shoved the young goddess backwards into the pool. 

Was it the smart thing to do? Absolutely not. Did tossing her weapon away make it even stupider? Certainly so.

But did it feel good, after the last few days she’d had? 

_ One hundred percent.  _

* * *

“Uh...” Taichi stared at the swaths of dead boar lining the valley brush. Claw marks oozing venom - dog demon scratches, he could tell, because he may not have been the brightest but he knew  _ some  _ things - marred most the corpses, the remaining few sporting nasty bite marks and weird-looking burns. 

“ _ How, _ ” Okkoto snarled, tearing into the sack with both hands, “did that bastard dog find so many of them? Ikue told me that our stronghold here was...a strong hold!” 

Edging close to the shadows, Taichi tried not to look obvious as he scanned the sky for tell-tale signs of their enemy. He’d thought that they were heading towards the valley to  _ avoid  _ Lord Sesshomaru, and all of his dangerous-ness, but maybe there was a part he’d missed in his dad’s blabbering about it. That tended to happen a lot. 

“Well. At least this will give me the opportunity to teach you the rites.” Okkoto sighed heavily. After a moment, he tapped one tusk. “Then we can brainstorm how we’re going to get him back for it…”

Taichi groaned under his breath, unhappy on both counts. The death rites always had a lot of prayers involved, and knowing that his father’s nemesis could be  _ just about anywhere  _ made him all queasy. Scratching at his arm, he muttered, “Could we at least get some food first?”

An eyebrow peaked across his father’s rough, pitted forehead. “You stand before twenty dead clansmen, and you still feel hungry?” 

“Well, I guess not, when you put it like that…”

“I didn’t do it!” Keiko shrieked, yanking in vain at where her father had hold of her wrist. Miroku breathed in sharply through his nose as they marched away from the inn; the awkward, pitying looks of the villagers milling around stung a little, but he didn’t have much hope of avoiding them.

“I told you three times not to play any tricks on Jinenji’s mother. She’s being a huge help to us by watching Minako and your little brother.” He kept his voice steady, imagining a calm river. “You didn’t listen, and so now you’re going in time-out.”

“Nooooooo!” The little girl went lax, her weight forcing him to pause. Face turning red, she whined, “I don’t want toooo--Emi did it!” 

“Keiko,” Miroku sighed, one hand falling to rest on his hip. “I can tell the two of you apart quite easily.  _ You _ put a bunch of dirty vegetables in the laundry she’d just finished - how do you think she felt about that?” 

Bottom lip poking out, she glowered at him with no response. Shaking his head, Miroku resumed their march. “Well, you’ll have plenty of time to think about it while you’re in time-out--” 

“You’re so mean _ , _ ” she wailed, huge tears filling her eyes and spilling down her cheeks. “I wish you were sick, instead of Mama!” 

Despite knowing that she didn’t truly mean it - she was just a child, tired of being passed around between babysitters, scared for her mother and uncle, and anxious from all of the stress of the adults around her - Miroku couldn’t deny that his heart broke a little to hear that. Still, he kept his tone light as he responded, “When you’ve calmed down, we can talk about why that isn’t a nice thing to say.”

Bawling, Keiko didn’t say another discernable word until they were at the healing hut. Sitting her down outside the door, Miroku used his sternest tone (usually reserved for when Monk Mushin had drunken himself into yet another fever.) “Now, I want you to sit here for the next few minutes. You can think about how you’re going to apologize, and why you shouldn’t blame things on your sister.” 

Kicking her feet against the wooden floor, she pressed both fists to her eyes and sobbed. Miroku sat with his back against the opposite wall and closed his eyes. 

From inside the healing hut, Kagome cringed. It certainly didn’t sound like a fun parenting moment; she didn’t even want to think about how he was holding up. She felt even worse for dropping everything to leave Inuyasha alone with that boar in the woods; even though she trusted him to handle himself, it still felt a little unfair. Especially since it had been her idea to interrogate him anyway...

“I promise it happened,” Rin protested for the third time, looking back and forth between the young priestess and Kaede. “I don’t know why, but Sango moved.” 

“How?” Pressing a hand to her friend’s cheek, Kagome noted that it  _ did  _ feel a little less clammy. The color in her cheeks, her heartbeat - all had remained steady for the past day or so, though she still remained in a deep sleep. “Did she open her eyes? Try to speak?” 

“She just kind of--” Rin shrugged her shoulders dramatically, letting her hands flop into her lap. “Like that.”

“It could be a muscle spasm.” Kaede frowned, picking at her chin. “Perhaps we should be watching her for seizures…” 

“I don’t know.” Kagome felt a warm rush of optimism fight it’s way through her chest. “If her illness is spiritual, maybe it’s a good thing - it could mean what we’re doing is reaching her.”

“Does that mean we can do the ritual, Lady Kagome?” Eyes beseechingly wide, Rin shoved a piece of paper towards her, ignoring Kaede’s soft scolding. “I really think it could help.”

“We don’t know that Nagisa had her best interest at heart suggesting it,” Kaede argued. “Such things are meant for spirits, not humans with--”

The old priestess was stunned into silence, along with the other two, as Sango’s body tensed. Brow knitting together, the slayer’s lips met - softened - met again. Then, as quickly as it had happened, she relaxed. 

A wide smile burst across Kagome’s face. “She’s still in there...Okay!” She held the spell aloft. “As Sango’s best friend and chief healer, I am making the executive decision that we’re going to try this.” 

Rin cheered, and though she looked apprehensive even Kaede had a glimmer of hope in her eyes. 

“And if it doesn’t work, then we’ll try something else.  _ Anything  _ else. We’re not giving up.” Kagome nodded to the door, already rolling up her sleeves. “Rin, go tell Miroku to get in here and give him the update. I’m going to try and feed Minako first, so we won’t get interrupted.”

The younger girl raised her hand. “What about Inuyasha?” 

“It’s been long enough that he’ll come looking for me, if Jinenji didn’t go to get him first.” Knotting her sleeves above her elbows, Kagome thought to herself,  _ This is going to work. It has to... _

_ Hang on, Sango - help is on the way!  _

* * *

“ _ Stop it!”  _ Izuna screeched, shoving Kagura away. The scratches on the goddess’s face knit back together quickly, although the sting of them had felt just as potent as if She’d been a mere mortal. “ _ You should be on my side!”  _

“ _ I’m on my own damn side!”  _ Shoving Her back into the water, Kagura felt a flash of memory - the one time she’d physically fought Kanna, after her older sister had told Naraku about her sneaking out at night. No matter what curses she’d thrown at her, or how violent her storm had been, the mirror demon hadn’t bothered to fight back; her cold expression never changed. That had only infuriated her more, and so Kagura had never bothered to challenge her again. 

Izuna’s uncalculated strikes, the angry winds roaring around them - it made her head spin, how familiar it was. But Kagura wasn’t like Kanna; she had no desire to be an empty shell for anyone else’s pain. 

Especially  _ this _ tiny bitch. 

Height giving her the advantage, she pushed the goddess’s shoulders down hard, so She was half-submerged in the waves. “You’re safe up here with damn  Raijin and Fujin _ ,  _ and you decide to go causing trouble instead -- are you crazy? Stupid? Which is it?” 

“ _ Get off!”  _ Small fists pounded her sternum like a hailstorm, and she twisted her head to avoid giving the smaller girl a chance to get a grip on her ear. 

“And you think the Land-mother gives a shit about your problems? You’re lucky it’s just me that you have to deal with, you little--” 

In puddles of water onshore, Sango and Kushinada watched in shock as the two rolled about, a spiral of air surrounding them.

“They remind me of my kids,” Sango whispered, cringing as Izuna’s knuckles knocked against the corner of Kagura’s mouth. “Why doesn’t Izuna just...smite her?” 

Kushinada gave a soft shrug. “Maybe part of her doesn’t want to.” 

That didn’t seem to match with the hateful expression on the white-haired goddess’ face, but Sango kept that thought to herself. 

“Look,” Kagura snarled, gripping the goddess’ collar with one hand while keeping pressure on Her shoulder with the other. “I have every intention of screwing your father over. But that doesn’t mean I give a shit about  _ your  _ side of things. So mind your fucking business from now on. No more foreboding dreams, sacrifices, alliances with pigs - or you'll regret it.”

“ _ What am I supposed to do? _ ” Izuna screamed in frustration, thrashing both arms against the water. The clouds circling them thickened. “Just forget about them? Live my life as if they never mattered?” 

“I don’t know!” Kagura shouted back.“What the fuck do you think I know about it?” 

“You got thrown away, too, didn’t you?” Izuna spat. Her nails dug in below Kagura’s collarbone, as though She wanted to rip free the heart hiding beneath the blood and bone, and the wind witch went cold with fear. “All your life, you were weak. And then you  _ made your bed _ with the creature that murdered them--” 

“Your sister tried to kill me first!” Hand closing hard over the goddess’ wrist, she forced it back, giving it a sharp twist for good measure. “And speaking of murder, how the fuck do you think Okkoto gets you all those humans to sacrifice?” 

Izuna froze. 

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. You’re a fucking hypocrite.” Struggling a bit, both because of the water shifting beneath her feet and the air pushing at her from all sides, Kagura released her grip on the goddess and stood. “For all your big talk, I didn’t see you coming to their aid, or mine. All you’ve done is cause problems, get other people to do your dirty work - and hope that you’ll get a pretty prize from it. Did She even promise you anything, or did you just  _ hope _ She’d support you?” 

The hateful glare she got in response pulled a harsh laugh out of Kagura's bruised chest. The memories that this brat reminded her of - Hakudoshi, Kanna, herself - she pushed them all away. "You think you're anything like me? I was trapped with my monster. No one ever came to coddle me, give me power, or stick me in a safer realm. If you feel guilty, then that's your own damn fault." 

“ _ Get out _ .” Sitting up, Izuna flung the wet rope of her hair over one shoulder. Thoroughly drenched and clearly vexed, she looked even more like a child. “You’ll never be allowed to enter this realm again; I swear it.” 

“Fine by me.” She didn’t have any kind words for Fujin, anyway. With as much dignity as she could muster, Kagura waded back to where Sango and Kushinada were waiting. Picking up her fan, she whipped it back and forth so the called-upon winds could wring her robes dry. “Get up, we’re going.” 

The slayer didn’t need to be told twice; she was first through the stone doors, though as soon as they reached the hallway she paused to press both hands to her chest. 

“I thought we were all going to be killed…” Cutting her eyes in Kagura’s direction, she sighed, “You should know better than to pick fights with a goddess, of all people.” 

“Oh, and I’m sure you ended up here by being completely innocent.” Most likely she  actually hadn’t done anything, but Kagura wasn’t feeling fair and pleasant right now. Which is why Kushinada flinging both arms around her was definitely  not something she was going to tolerate .

“Thank you so much, demoness!" The rice goddess's smile was blindingly bright. "My husband truly picked a wonderful champion!” 

“None of that, thank you.” Shrugging the teary-eyed goddess off, she winced; there was definitely going to be quite a bit of bruising on whatever form carried her around in this realm. It didn’t seem like something she should have to deal with, but that just seemed to be the cards she was dealt with nowadays. “Now we just have to figure out how to get out of here…”

“Well, how did you get in?” Sango glanced around the realm with not a little wonder. It was almost certain that such things were not meant for human eyes, but it wasn’t like she’d chosen to be here. 

“Someone let me in. No clue where they went, though--”

A distant rumbling cut her words short. She and Sango barely had time to exchange nervous glances before a roar shook the walls around them. All three women were caught in a raging storm of air, lifting them up and dragging them at a breakneck pace through the halls. Their shouts were lost in the din, as they were tossed about like debris in a cyclone.

_ Bam!  _

Kagura swore loudly as she landed on a hard shelf of rock. The ringing in both ears made her feel dizzy; Kushinada sat up beside her with a groan. Around them, winds wove a thick blanket of mist, hiding any sign of the divine fortress they had just left. 

“I guess they wanted us out as much as we did,” Sango said, moving her arms and legs gingerly to test for injuries. Her face screwed up in a thoughtful expression. “What a strange place…” 

“Gods are such assholes.” Standing, Kagura rotated her spine one way, then the other. Her face fell as she spied the impossibly high wall of rock behind them. All the way at the top, she could just make out a glimmer of white - the path to Susanoo’s realm.  “Oh, for fuck’s sake…” 


End file.
